JM was founded on the expertise of Percival Norton Johnson in the assaying and refining of precious metals
Now
#1
JM is the world's largest recycler of platinum group metals by volume
We're a world leader in PGM (platinum group metal) chemistry, with over 200 years' experience dealing with precious metals products and chemicals. Advanced metals chemistry underpins many of our sustainable technologies, from emissions control systems to catalysts enabling the production of sustainable aviation fuel.
What are PGMs?
There are six transition metals that are known as the platinum group metals or PGMs:
Platinum (Pt)
Palladium (Pd)
Ruthenium (Ru)
Rhodium (Rh)
Iridium (Ir)
Osmium (Os)
They occur together on the periodic table and share similar properties that make them industrially powerful, from extreme durability to impressive catalytic performance.
Many of the technologies we need for modern life rely on these metals, from automotive sensors and catalytic converters in vehicles, to catalysts for producing pharmaceuticals and other important chemicals.
Putting safety first
We are experienced in handling sensitising PGM compounds, where exposure over time can lead to inflammatory allergic reactions on any future exposure. We understand how to embed safety procedures into all PGM processes to mitigate this risk.
Making every atom count
In over 200 years of experience working with precious metals, we have developed a deep understanding of their chemistry. Using advanced characterisation techniques, we can understand how materials perform by looking at them all the way down to the atomic scale.
From our heritage in autocatalysts, we know how to ensure an even distribution of metal particles across a catalyst to make every atom count. This means we can reduce cost while maintaining performance and durability. This is known as ‘thrifting’, and we are applying this expertise to our hydrogen fuel cell and electrolyser catalysts to enable the scale up of the hydrogen economy.
Embedding circularity
PGMs are precious natural resources that we need to look after and use carefully. Circularity of PGMs is an essential part of the net zero transition. With limited quantities of these critical minerals available, recycling plays a crucial role in securing the metal needed to supply existing and future demand.
JM is the world’s largest recycler of PGMs by volume. Using our deep knowledge of PGM chemistry, pyro- and hydrometallurgy and analytical science, we measure, extract and separate PGMs from waste material, such as spent autocatalysts, fuel cell manufacturing waste, secondary mine residues and jewellery. We refine the PGMs to very high purity so these critical metals can be used again and again.
By keeping these metals in the loop, we’re ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of PGMs. Secondary refined (recycled) metal has an up to 98% lower carbon footprint than primary (mined) metal. This means we can reduce the carbon footprint of our technologies and help our customers achieve their sustainability goals.
