Ercros based in Spain announced that the production of acetaldehyde at their site would cease and required the palladium needed to be recovered. The process was carried out in a reactor that contained 30 kilograms of palladium within a solution volume of 50 metric tonnes. Due to the nature of the solution, the volume of liquid and the solids content, the reactor contents was not suitable for direct refining to recover the palladium. Smopex® was offered as a cost effective, alternative method for recovering the palladium.