Platinum – Harry & Co Jewellery

Characteristics and Properties of Platinum

Lustrous, ductile, and malleable, silver-white metal
More ductile than gold, silver, or copper
Well-suited for industrial applications due to physical characteristics and chemical stability
Excellent resistance to corrosion
Well-suited for use in fine jewelry due to resistance to wear and tarnish
Silvery white appearance
Standard atomic weight of 195.084±0.009
Boiling point of 4098K (3825°C, 6917°F)
Density of 21.45g/cm³ (near room temperature)
Mohs hardness of 3.5
Forms a thin surface film of PtO that can be easily removed
Common oxidation states of +2 and +4
Reacts with chlorine, bromine, iodine, and sulfur
Insoluble in hydrochloric and nitric acid, but dissolves in hot aqua regia

Extremely rare metal, occurring at a concentration of only 0.005 ppm in Earth's crust
Often found as native platinum or alloyed with other platinum-group metals and iron
Secondary deposits in alluvial deposits, such as in Colombia and the Ural Mountains, Russia
Also found in nickel and copper deposits as sulfides, tellurides, antimonides, and arsenides
Major source of platinum associated with nickel ores in the Sudbury Basin deposit in Ontario, Canada
Bushveld Igneous Complex in South Africa contains around 75% of the world's known platinum
Norilsk in Russia and Sudbury Basin in Canada are other large deposits
Smaller reserves can be found in the United States, for example in Montana
South Africa was the top producer of platinum in 2010, followed by Russia
Large platinum deposits are present in Tamil Nadu, India
Platinum is obtained as a by-product from nickel and copper mining and processing
Impurities can be removed from raw platinum by floating lighter impurities, using an electromagnet, and resisting hydrochloric and sulfuric acids
Aqua regia is used to dissolve palladium, gold, and platinum, while other platinum-group metals remain unreacted
Small scale recovery of platinum from laboratory residues can be done using elemental zinc

Catalytic converters
Laboratory equipment
Electrical contacts and electrodes
Platinum resistance thermometers
Jewelry
Platinum is used as a catalyst in chemical reactions, especially as a catalytic converter in automobiles
It is also used in the petroleum industry for catalytic reforming and hydrogenation of vegetable oils
Platinum catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide and is used in fuel cells
Platinum has various other applications in medicine, biomedicine, glassmaking, electrodes, and turbine engines

Traces of platinum have been found in ancient Egyptian gold
Native Americans in South America used platinum to produce artifacts
Europeans first encountered platinum in the 16th century
Antonio de Ulloa is credited with the discovery of platinum
Charles Wood found Colombian platinum samples in Jamaica in 1741
Platinum was initially assumed to be non-pliable and brittle due to impurities, but pure platinum is actually highly malleable
Charles III of Spain provided resources to Pierre-François Chabaneau, who succeeded in producing pure, malleable platinum
From 1889 to 1960, the meter was defined as the length of a platinum-iridium alloy bar known as the international prototype meter
The kilogram was defined as the mass of the international prototype of the kilogram, a platinum-iridium alloy cylinder made in 1879
Platinum is used in the standard hydrogen electrode due to its corrosion resistance
Platinum Resistance Thermometry (PRT) has industrial applications and standards such as ASTM E1137 and IEC 60751
Platinum is considered prestigious in the jewelry trade
Platinum coins, bars, and ingots are collected and traded
Platinum is valued as an investment for its scarcity and industrial applications

Platinum wire is commonly used for electrodes in laboratories
Thermogravimetric analysis utilizes platinum pans and supports due to their chemical inertness at high temperatures
Platinum is used as an alloying agent in the production of fine wires, noncorrosive laboratory containers, medical instruments, dental prostheses, electrical contacts, and thermocouples
Platinum-cobalt, an alloy of platinum and cobalt, is used to create strong permanent magnets
Platinum-based anodes find applications in ships, pipelines, and steel piers
Platinum is associated with exclusivity and wealth in advertising due to its rarity
Platinum is used in jewelry as a 90-95% alloy for its inertness and inherent bullion value
Platinum is used in watchmaking for its resistance to tarnishing and wear compared to gold
Short-term exposure to platinum salts can cause irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat
Long-term exposure to platinum may lead to respiratory and skin allergies
Platinum is a precious metal commodity traded as bullion with the ISO currency code of XPT

Reference	URL
Glossary	https://harryandcojewellery.com.au/blogs/glossary/platinum
Wikipedia	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platinum
Wikidata
Knowledge Graph	https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/m/025s7y2