Platinum It’s More Than Just A Record By Chris Howells

What is Platinum? 78 Pt Platinum A heavy, malleable, ductile, precious, grey-white transition metals, platinum is resistant to corrosion and occurs in some nickel and copper ores along with some native deposits.

The Platinum Discovery Though the metal was used by pre-Columbian Native Americans, the first European reference to platinum appears in 1557 in the writings of the Italian humanist Julius Caesar Scaliger (1484– 1558) as a description of a mysterious metal found in Central American mines between Darién (Panama) and Mexico ("up until now impossible to melt by any of the Spanish arts"). The word platinum comes from the Spanish word platina, meaning "little silver."

The Element  Symbol: Pt  Atomic Number: 78  Atomic Mass: grams/mol  Number of Protons: 78  Number of Neutrons: 117  Number of Electrons: 78  Melting Point: 1768˚C  Boiling Point: 3825˚C  Normal Phase: Solid  Family: Transition Metals

Uses of Platinum GGGGasoline HHHHard-Disk Drives AAAAnti-Cancer Drugs FFFFiber-Optic Cables LLLLCD Displays EEEEyeglasses FFFFertilizers EEEExplosives PPPPaints PPPPacemakers EEEEtc…

Is It Platinum Ore Not? Did you know approximately 8 tons of raw ore must be mined to produce just one pure ounce of platinum? 8 Tons of Ore 8 Tons of Ore 1 Oz of Platinum 1 Oz of Platinum →

Platinum Fuel Cells A fuel cell works on the principle of hydrolysis, whereby hydrogen and oxygen are combined, with the aid of a catalyst, PLATINUM, to produce water with energy as a by-product. 2H 2 + O 2 → 2H 2 O 2H 2 + O 2 → 2H 2 O exothermic exothermic

Platinum Saves the Day!  Over one-third of all platinum supplied to the international markets each year is used in catalytic converters to control harmful automobile emissions.  Higher North American, European, and Asian automobile emission standards continue to add pressure to auto manufacturers to increase the use of platinum in catalytic converters and devices like oxygen sensors.

Platinum Mining Roughly 90% of all platinum supplies come from South Africa and Russia. Virtually all of the platinum mined in South Africa is pre- sold to industrial users.

Going Platinum Platinum is the greatest element. That’s why your favorite musical artist strives for the platinum record.