Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Understanding The Recycling Of Scrap Oxygen Sensors

By Harold Evans


Almost every modern vehicle has an O2 sensor as part of an emission control mechanism installed in the catalytic converter. This device plays a crucial role of balancing the air-fuel ratio to achieve optimal performance. Because it's a consumable, the oxygen sensor will wear with use, eventually needing replacement. When this is done, the scrap oxygen sensors can be recycled to reclaim some of the materials.

Oxygen sensors contain a tiny amount of platinum that acts as an efficient catalyst thanks to its non-oxidizing properties. Additionally, it's also resistant to corrosion. Of late, the demand for platinum has sharply risen as concerns over the environmental footprint left by its mining continue to grow. Recycling worn out oxygen sensors has hence become viable from both financial and ecological standpoints.

A number of firms have invested in infrastructure, equipment and facilities to efficiently recover platinum from the devices. Thanks to vigorous marketing campaigns, you may have heard about the importance of recycling such items. The companies will gladly accept any quantity, albeit with a few directives in terms of packaging and delivery.

If you're interested in recycling, you can start by searching for relevant programs over the internet. After you sign up on one of these, you should receive a shipping label in your mail. You could also contact a local recycler and enquire if you could drop off your items there. All the devices should then be collected and placed in a padded postal container attached with the mailing label.

If your offer gets accepted, you will receive payment for the items you sent in a pre-disclosed form. And in most cases, you will be required to use priority boxes, with the devices enclosed in tough plastic bags. This then needs to be taped to reinforce security and placed in a box whose surfaces are also sealed.

Different programs will have their own unique method of calculating payment. The elements commonly used to determine value include type, age and size of sensors sent. These are then considered in light of the prevailing state of demand for platinum. Because all these elements tend to change from time to time, the amount one can get for their shipment will also vary.

In a nutshell, there are a handful of opportunities waiting to be exploited as far as scrap O2 sensors are concerned. Colleting old units and selling them presents a viable avenue through which you could venture into recycling as a business venture. And it doesn't have to involve lots of effort; you could simply keep worn-out units after replacement instead of discarding them.

Recycling is becoming more and more relevant in a world having to deal with the rarity of some raw materials. Selling such items to recyclers therefore goes towards boosting efforts currently being made to achieve sustainability. By selling your units to such a firm, you'll be facilitating safe recovery of the precious metals besides making some extra cash.




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