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IJCT Vol.12 [2005] >
IJCT Vol.12(5) [September 2005] >
| Title: | Platinum—From exotic to commodity |
| Authors: | Wisniak, Jaime |
| Issue Date: | Sep-2005 |
| Publisher: | CSIR |
| Abstract: |
Platinum was brought to Europe
in the middle of the sixteenth century and was soon recognized a true metal, which
could not be fused. It remained an expensive curiosity for almost 200 years,
until scientists learned its properties, how to melt it in large quantity, and
discovered that four new elements, rhodium, iridium, osmium, and palladium,
accompanied it (the platinum group metals). The early uses of platinum were in
jewelry, laboratory ware, and coin manufacture. By the end of the nineteenth
century a platinum-rhodium alloy was adopted for constructing the standard
meter and kilogram. Production of platinum grew very slowly; it was only about
one ton per year by 1911. The breakthrough came with the discovery of the
extraordinary the catalytic properties of the platinum metal group. Today these
metals stand at the heart of the petrochemical industry and are the basis of
all the means for controlling the emission of obnoxious gases of motor
vehicles. Annual production has now reached near 190 tons.
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| Page(s): | 601-614 |
| ISSN: | 0975-0991 (Online); 0971-457X (Print) |
| Source: | IJCT Vol.12(5) [September 2005]
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