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Precious Metals Characteristics Major Sources Uses

The document summarizes the characteristics, major sources, and uses of precious metals including gold, silver, platinum, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, iridium, osmium, rhenium, and indium. Gold and silver are commonly used in jewelry due to their desirable properties like malleability and conductivity. Platinum and palladium are used in catalytic converters and jewelry. The other metals, including ruthenium, rhodium, iridium, osmium, rhenium, and indium, have a variety of industrial applications due to their high melting points, density, and corrosion resistance. Major sources of the precious metals include South Africa, Russia, Canada, the United States, Mexico

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Peter Tolibas
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53 views2 pages

Precious Metals Characteristics Major Sources Uses

The document summarizes the characteristics, major sources, and uses of precious metals including gold, silver, platinum, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, iridium, osmium, rhenium, and indium. Gold and silver are commonly used in jewelry due to their desirable properties like malleability and conductivity. Platinum and palladium are used in catalytic converters and jewelry. The other metals, including ruthenium, rhodium, iridium, osmium, rhenium, and indium, have a variety of industrial applications due to their high melting points, density, and corrosion resistance. Major sources of the precious metals include South Africa, Russia, Canada, the United States, Mexico

Uploaded by

Peter Tolibas
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Precious Metals Characteristics Major Sources Uses

Gold Known for its desirability, durability and South Africa, United States, Jewelry, electronics, radiation
malleability. Australia and China shielding, thermal insulation

Best measured by fire assay method.

Silver It has the highest electrical and thermal Peru, Mexico, Chile, China Jewelry, coins, batteries,
conductivity of all the elements and has the lowest electronics, dentistry,
contact resistance. antimicrobial agents,
photography

Platinum A dense, malleable metal with exceptional South Africa, Canada, Russia Catalysts, jewelry, weaponry,
corrosion resistance. dentistry

It is nearly 15 times rarer than gold yet widely


used. This combination of rarity and functionality
might make platinum the most precious of the
precious metals.

Palladium Like platinum, this element can absorb an Russia, Canada, United States, White gold" jewelry, catalytic
enormous quantity of hydrogen. It is a rare, South Africa converters in automobiles,
malleable metal, able to maintain stability at high electrode plating in electronics
temperatures.

Ruthenium It is one of the platinum group metals, or PGMs. Russia, North America, South Increasing hardness in alloys and
All metals of this element family are considered America coating electrical contacts to
precious metals because they are typically found improve durability and corrosion
together in nature and share similar properties. resistance
Rhodium A rare, highly reflective, silvery metal. It exhibits South Africa, Canada, Russia Reflectivity, including jewelry,
high corrosion resistance and has a high melting mirrors, and other reflectors, and
point. automotive uses

Iridium It is one of the densest metals. It also has one of South Africa Pen nibs, watches, jewelry,
the highest melting points and is the most compasses, electronics,
corrosion-resistant element. medicine, automotive industry

Osmium Osmium basically is tied with iridium as Russia, North America, South Pen nibs, electrical contacts,
the element with the highest density. This bluish hardening platinum alloys
metal is extremely hard and brittle, with a high
melting point. While it's too heavy and brittle to
use in jewelry and gives off an unpleasant odor,
the metal is a desirable addition when making
alloys.

Rhenium One of the densest metals, with the third highest Chile, Kazakhstan, United States High-temperature turbine
melting point. Rhenium is a by-product of engines and added nickel-based
molybdenum superalloys to improve
temperature strength, filaments,
electrical contact material, and
thermocouples

Indium A rare metal produced from zinc-ore processing, China, South Korea, Japan Coating for bearings in aircraft
as well as lead, iron and copper ores. In its purest engines, create corrosive-
form, it presents the color white and it’s extremely resistant mirrors,
shiny and malleable. semiconductors, alloys, and
electrical conductivity in flat-
panel devices

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