Platinum World

Platinum (Pt) is a metallic element that, due to its scarcity, is more expensive than gold. The atomic weight of platinum is 78. Platinum belongs to Periodic Table Group 10 as a transition metal. Platinum is the most significant element in the platinum metals group. Other metals in this category include ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, and iridium. In ancient Greece and Rome, platinum was most likely used in the alloyed form, and it was first mentioned in European literature in the early 16th century. The other platinum metals were isolated from platinum and each other in the early nineteenth century.

Platinum metals require complex aqueous chemical processing to isolate and identify, unlike gold and silver, which can be recovered in a relatively pure state through simple fire refining. The platinum group lags thousands of years behind silver and gold in terms of identification and separation due to the lack of these methods until the turn of the nineteenth century. Furthermore, higher melting temperatures of these metals limited their utility until researchers discovered ways to consolidate and manipulate them into usable forms.

Platinum is a precious metal that is commonly utilized in the jewelry industry. Catalytic converters for cars, trucks, and buses are its principal application. Every year, this accounts for around half of the total demand. Platinum is particularly effective at converting poisonous emissions from a vehicle's engine into less hazardous trash. Platinum is used to make nitric acid, silicone, and benzene in the chemical industry. It can also be used as a catalyst to improve the efficiency of fuel cells. Computer hard disks and thermocouples are made with platinum in the electronics sector. Platinum is used to create optical fibers and LCD screens, turbine blades, spark plugs, pacemakers, and dental fillings. Platinum compounds are crucial anticancer drugs.

The oldest working example of platinum is reported to be an ancient Egyptian casket from the 7th century BC discovered in Thebes and dedicated to Queen Shapenapit. Platinum remained unknown in Europe and Asia for the following two millennia, but there were people who knew how to work it on the Pacific coast of South America, as proven by 2000-year-old burial items. An Italian scholar named Julius Scaliger wrote in 1557 about a metal from Spanish Central America that refused to melt and was probably likely platinum. Then, in 1735, Antonio Ulloa discovered this odd metal, but as he returned to Europe, his ship was captured by the Royal Navy, and he ended himself in London.

The good news is that not all platinum comes from primary sources during this time-consuming and expensive technique. According to USGS estimates, recycled platinum accounts for roughly 30% of the 8.53 million ounces produced each year. Platinum recycling helps to preserve and promote a valuable natural resource.