Facts about PGMs

Key facts:

• Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) consist of six silver-white metals: platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, and osmium.
• They occur together in nature and are produced from the same ore.
• They are mined mainly in South Africa, Russia, and North America.

PGMs are used in:

• Catalytic converters. Auto catalysts are the largest demand sector for PGMs and in 2021 accounted for over 71% of gross world demand for platinum, palladium and rhodium combined
• Computer hard disks, mobile phones, aircraft turbines, glass, nitric acid, silicones etc.
• Anti-cancer drugs, cardiac treatment, implants, dental applications
• Fuel cell technology
• Power-train for electric cars: a fuel cell using a catalyst of platinum and ruthenium combines hydrogen with oxygen in a chemical reaction

PGM properties:

• are indispensable in many industrial applications
• are very durable
• are highly resistant to wear, tarnish and chemical attack
• resist corrosion
• have excellent catalytic properties
• are highly recyclable
• are used rather than consumed

Fact Sheets

Our fact sheets cover the different stages of the supply chain (primary production/mining, secondary production/fabrication and recycling) as well as autocatalysts as an example application and can be found here.