Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, gray-white transition metal. Its name comes from the Spanish term platina, meaning “little silver”.
Properties
- Phase: Solid
- Density: 21.45 g/cm³
- Melting Point: 2041.4 K
- Boiling Point: 4098 K
Uses
- Catalytic converters and chemical catalysts
- Jewelry and watchmaking
- Laboratory crucibles and corrosion-resistant equipment
- Electrical contacts and high-temperature components
- Fuel cells and hydrogen processing
Extraction Process
Platinum is typically found with other platinum-group metals in sulfide ores or as heavy grains in placer deposits. Ore is crushed and concentrated, smelted into a sulfide matte, then chemically refined. The platinum-group metals are separated using dissolution and selective precipitation, followed by high-temperature refining to reach high purity.
Extraction / Obtención
Recovered mostly as a byproduct of nickel and copper ores or from placer deposits; concentrated, smelted to a matte, then chemically separated and refined to high purity.