
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.
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