[SMM Precious Metals Express]

A U.S. patent application (Publication No. US20260275453A1) titled "Method for Producing Palladium from Ag Slime" by Korea Zinc was published on September 17. The patent focuses on improving the efficiency of palladium (Pd) recovery from silver slime, a by-product of silver refining. The proposed process involves separating gold through acid dissolution, neutralising the palladium-bearing solution to form palladium oxide-containing precipitate, leaching palladium and platinum (Pt) with hydrochloric acid, followed by chloride precipitation, and ultimately completing the purification and recovery of palladium.

As global population ageing accelerates, medical demand for cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders and chronic pain continues to rise. Platinum, with its excellent biocompatibility, corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity and X-ray visibility, has become a critical material for advanced medical devices. From coronary stents and implantable pacemakers to cochlear implants and brain-computer interfaces, platinum applications are increasingly extending toward high-precision, miniaturised and long-term implantable medical technologies. In cardiovascular medicine, platinum is mainly used in catheters, stent positioning and cardiac electrophysiology therapy.

Bravo Mining has released the pre-feasibility study (PFS) for its Luanga palladium + platinum + rhodium + gold + nickel project located in the Carajás mining district, Pará State, Brazil, marking the advancement of this South American PGM asset from a resource story to a concrete engineering and economic modelling stage.