Palladium is a precious metal that is a key component in catalytic converters found in most gasoline-powered vehicles. With palladium prices rising in recent years, there has been increasing interest in which vehicles contain the most palladium that could potentially be recovered from scrapped catalytic converters.
What is Palladium?
Palladium is a lustrous white noble metal that is one of the six platinum-group metals (along with platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, and osmium). It is relatively rare and found alloyed with platinum and other metals in the mines of South Africa, Russia, North America, and Australia.
Some key facts about palladium:
- Atomic Number: 46
- Atomic Weight: 106.42 g/mol
- Density: 12.02 g/cm3
- Melting Point: 1,554°C (2,829°F)
- Boiling Point: 2,963°C (5,365°F)
Palladium has many applications including use in electronics, dentistry, medicine, hydrogen purification, chemical applications, groundwater treatment, and jewelry. However, its primary use is as a catalyst in emissions control systems for automobiles.
Catalytic Converters
The catalytic converter is part of a vehicle’s exhaust system and helps reduce pollutants from the exhaust before release into the atmosphere. Inside are a ceramic honeycomb structure coated with a combination of metals including palladium, platinum, and rhodium that act as catalysts to convert harmful compounds into less harmful ones through an oxidation-reduction reaction.
Gasoline engines produce a number of air pollutants as byproducts of combustion including:
- Carbon monoxide (CO)
- Nitrogen oxides (NOx)
- Hydrocarbons (HC)
As exhaust passes through the converter, palladium helps catalyze the oxidation reaction that converts carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide. The nitrogen oxides are reduced to nitrogen and oxygen. Unburnt hydrocarbons are also oxidized into carbon dioxide and water vapor.
Although other metals like platinum and rhodium are also used, palladium plays a key role as the primary catalyst. It has excellent catalytic properties and is better than platinum for converting hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. The amount of palladium, platinum, and rhodium can vary based on the vehicle make and model.
How Much Palladium is in Catalytic Converters?
The amount of palladium used in the catalytic converter ranges from 2-7 grams for most passenger vehicles. Larger trucks can contain up to 30 grams of palladium. The amount depends on the emissions control requirements in the country the vehicle is marketed for sale.
Here are some averages:
- Passenger cars: 2-5 g
- SUVs: 5-7 g
- Heavy duty trucks: 15-30 g
For comparison, platinum usage ranges from 1-3 grams and rhodium usage is much less from 0.1-0.2 grams. Palladium is generally 60-80% of the total precious metals content. The metals are dispersed onto the ceramic substrate as a coating and do not affect the physical size or weight of the converter.
Palladium Prices
One factor that determines the value of scrap catalytic converters is the market price of palladium. Like other commodities, prices fluctuate daily based on market forces of supply and demand.
Here are the key trends:
- Palladium reached a high of $2800 per ounce in March 2022, up from around $500 per ounce at the beginning of 2020.
- Prices have eased to around $2000 per ounce currently but are still near historical highs.
- Russia accounts for over 40% of the global palladium supply, so disruptions due to sanctions have impacted market balance.
- Automotive manufacturers account for over 80% of palladium demand.
With palladium prices elevated, catalytic converters with higher palladium content are more valuable to recover. Recyclers will pay more for these scrapped parts.
Which Vehicles Have the Most Palladium?
Since palladium is the main precious metal used in catalytic converters, vehicles that use more of it are of greater interest for recycling scrapped converters. Certain brands and models stand out:
Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius hybrid electric is popular for its fuel efficiency. Some key facts about Prius catalytic converters:
- Use a higher palladium-to-platinum ratio compared to other vehicles.
- Contain 4-8 grams of palladium.
- Prius trucks and vans can contain up to 16 grams of palladium.
Aftermarket and black market demand for stolen Prius converters is driven by their high palladium content. The 2010-2015 Prius models are especially targeted by thieves.
Toyota Tacoma
Toyota’s midsize Tacoma pickup truck is also sought after for its palladium-rich converters containing 5-7 grams of palladium. Key facts:
- The 4-cylinder engine Tacoma 2.7L is most targeted model.
- Years 1998-2000 have the highest palladium content.
- Aftermarket Tacoma converters sell for $500-$900 for their palladium value.
Ford F-150
The popular Ford F-150 pickup has increased emissions control requirements due to its larger engine size. This translates to more palladium usage. Highlights include:
- 2018-2020 models contain 20-30 grams of palladium.
- Hybrid engine models have higher palladium content.
- Aftermarket converters sell for $1000-$2000.
Honda Accords
The Honda Accord is also on the high-palladium list with some Accord variations containing up to 7 grams. Facts include:
- 1994-1997 Honda Accord LX and EX models use the most palladium.
- 1998-2002 V6 models are also palladium-rich.
- Aftermarket resale values up to $450.
Highest Palladium Cars by Category
This comparison table summarizes vehicles with the most palladium content grouped by vehicle class and brand:
| Vehicle Class | Make/Model | Palladium Content |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | Toyota Prius | 4-8 grams |
| Pickup Truck | Ford F-150 | 20-30 grams |
| Luxury | BMW X5 | 5-7 grams |
| Sports Car | Honda S2000 | 5 grams |
| Midsize Sedan | Honda Accord | up to 7 grams |
| SUV | Toyota 4Runner | 6 grams |
While more research can reveal other palladium-rich models, this demonstrates that certain vehicle types tend to have higher catalytic converter palladium content. Luxury and performance vehicles also trend higher as they require more sophisticated emission control systems.
Catalytic Converter Recycling
With palladium prices elevated, catalytic converter recycling has become a lucrative business. There are two main sources for scrapped converters:
Scrap Yards
Auto salvage and scrap yards remove used catalytic converters when scrapping old vehicles. They sell the separated converters to refiners and recyclers.
Theft
Catalytic converter theft has risen sharply in recent years. Thieves target vehicles parked in public areas and quickly cut out the converter. The stolen converters are then sold to scrap metal dealers.
To recycle catalytic converters, companies use various processes to reclaim the precious metals:
- Pyrometallurgical – Ovens and furnaces smelt converters into a metal mixture that is refined further.
- Hydrometallurgical – Leaching solutions help extract the precious metals into a solution.
- Mechanical processing – Crushing and grinding converters allows physical separation of the precious metals.
Refining companies pay more for catalytic converters with higher precious metal content like palladium. Most scrap recycling outfits do not have the capacity to smelt converters and sell to larger refiners instead.
Conclusion
With palladium as the most abundant and valuable element in catalytic converters, identifying vehicles with the highest palladium content allows targeting the most lucrative converters to recover. While Toyota Prius and Tacoma trucks are well-known for their palladium level, full-size pickups, SUVs, and luxury cars also contain significant amounts of palladium in their emission control systems.
Understanding which catalytic converters fetch the highest resale price provides guidance both for legitimate scrap collectors and recyclers as well as illicit thieves unfortunately. As emission regulations tighten worldwide, palladium usage in automobiles will continue rising, further driving recycling and aftermarket demand.
