Auris Noble
The Strategic Element Recycler

Precious metals, specifically iridium and platinum, are integral to modern-day technologies, powering optical fibers, OLEDs, turbine blades, and pacemakers. Each element’s physical and chemical traits position them at the top of the value chain—and the center of the supply chain—for driving future innovations. However, mining these elements involves big-ticket investments, high energy demands, difficult geopolitical considerations and a massive environmental toll, making it a withering option in today’s environmentally conscious business world.

“Recycling these critical minerals presents an opportunity for all to redefine the current asset management framework while eliminating health and environmental hazards,” says Patrick Deeringer, COO of Auris Noble.

A premier metal recycler, Auris Noble is on a mission to increase the sustainability of noble metals through a sustainable alternative to mined material: recycling and reclaiming them from waste.

Setting the Standard for Precious Metal Recycling

Auris Noble began its recycling journey by reclaiming and refining platinum metal from discarded jet engines. Over the years, its team has perfected the hydrometallurgy process and expanded Auris Noble’s scope to recover other strategic and critical elements. Since 2019, these include iridium and ruthenium, which are extracted primarily from electrodes, electrolyzers, fuel cells, spark plugs, and catalysts. These proprietary methodologies and proven chemistry enabled the company to carve a niche in strategic metal recycling, setting the company a notch above the competition and ahead of the curve: iridium was only just named a strategic mineral by the Department of Energy in 2023. The company is now serving as a partner on a precious metal supply chain Green Hydrogen project funded under the auspices of the Department of Energy.

A broad network of partners complements Auris Noble’s service excellence. The company has formed strategic partnerships with tier-one refiners to perform tasks otherwise deemed “complicated” or “unconventional” for larger refineries throughout the years. Today, it has earned a reputation for taking up high-stakes, blue-ocean projects and turning rare metal recycling feasible and cost-effective for clients across different industry verticals like aerospace and chloralkali.

A significant milestone in the company’s journey was securing a project with the Department of Defense (DoD), which involved recovering strategic metals from military jet engines. This project provided the company with a steady stream of materials, allowing it to experiment and perfect science-driven solutions for recycling iridium and ruthenium from different industries, including mining. In fact, it is currently one of the few recyclers worldwide with the ability to handle the entire process from metal recovery to manufacturing ready-to-use products. The company can convert scrap as well as iridium sponge into compounds like iridium trichloride or chloroiridic acid. Moreover, it is proficient in processing osmiridium feeds—a rare capability in precious metals science.

Auris Noble has set its sights on an even greater challenge—the upcoming iridium shortage by recovering iridium from mining waste streams. The company is in process of establishing ethical partnerships with mining companies worldwide to reclaim precious metals from the feeds, residues, and process tailings that miners and other refiners cannot process. This capability aligns with the company’s roadmap of using finite natural resources sustainably rather than losing them after extraction.

The Two-Step Hydrometallurgy Process

At the heart of Auris Noble’s operations is a time-tested two-step hydrometallurgy process for dissolution and refining. Team Auris Noble first employs various methods to selectively dissolve the target precious metals from scrap material, waste feeds, and mining residues. The experts then convert the purified metals into stable salts, solutions, or other compounds to produce a finished product ready for manufacturing. The cornerstone technique turns discarded wastes and mining byproducts into valuable materials for creating new products and conserving precious elements.

The Backbone of Auris Noble’s Success

“Recycling is not just a business for us; it’s a commitment to innovation in preserving precious metals, fostering environmental responsibility, and building lasting relationships with our clients. Our consistent success stems from a powerful combination: proven solutions and methodologies seamlessly integrated with our collaborative team. The familial ambiance is pivotal in fostering trust and continuous growth,” says COO Patrick Deeringer.

The company’s team of nearly 40 employees with decades of industry experience is the driving force behind its success. Auris Noble lives up to its ideals by fostering an ethical, people-first culture where the leadership ensures every employee feels valued and respected. COO Patrick Deeringer admits, “As we are working with precious metals, it’s extremely important that we have reliable, trustworthy staff. I can proudly say they treat customer material with the greatest care and we’ve never had an integrity issue.”

In all its endeavors, the company remains grounded in the business ethos of pushing the limits of recycling technology to conserve precious natural resources. It has earned clients’ long-standing trust by tenaciously doing things the right way, technically and ethically. This dedication to innovation with integrity makes Auris Noble a true pioneer in metals reclamation and recycling.

As resources become scarcer, companies like Auris Noble are vital for securing precious metals essential to modern technology. Their expertise in recovering finite elements from waste promotes sustainable progress and avoids harmful over-mining. Positioned to lead with ethical standards, Auris Noble, based in Northeast Ohio, is trailblazing metals reclamation and powering innovation through recycling.