Platinum

Platinum (element #78, symbol Pt) is a dense, silvery-gray metal. The platinum group of elements consists of metals with similar physical properties as platinum and these elements are among the rarest in the Earth’s crust. They have high melting points, are dense or heavy and are non-reactive with other elements. The platinum group metals (PGM) include ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), palladium (Pd), osmium (Os), iridium (Ir) and platinum. Of these elements, only platinum and palladium are found in a pure form in nature. The others occur in nature as natural alloys with platinum and gold, for example.

Platinum is used principally as catalysts for the control of automobile and industrial plant emissions, as catalysts to produce acids, organic chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. Platinum group metals are used in bushings for making glass fibers used in fiber-reinforced plastic and other advanced materials, in electrical contacts, capacitors, conductive and resistive films used in electronic circuits, dental alloys used for making crowns and bridges, and jewelry.