What is platinum. The precious metal platinum The structure of platinum

PLATINUM- a chemical element of group VIII of the periodic system, atomic number 78, atomic mass 195.08. Greyish-white ductile metal, melting and boiling points - 1769°C and 3800°C. Platinum is one of the heaviest (density 21.5 g / cm 3) and the rarest metals: the average content in the earth's crust is 5 10 -7% by weight.

At room temperature very inert, when heated in an oxygen atmosphere, it slowly oxidizes with the formation of volatile oxides. In a finely divided state, it absorbs large amounts of oxygen. Platinum dissolves in liquid bromine and in aqua regia. When heated, it reacts with other halogens, peroxides, carbon, sulfur, phosphorus, silicon. Platinum is destroyed when heated with alkalis in the presence of oxygen, so alkalis cannot be melted in platinum utensils.

Platinum, especially in a finely divided state, is a very active catalyst for many chemical reactions, including those used on an industrial scale. For example, platinum catalyzes the addition of hydrogen to aromatic compounds even at room temperature and atmospheric hydrogen pressure. Back in 1821, the German chemist I.V. Döbereiner discovered that platinum black promotes a number of chemical reactions; while the platinum itself did not undergo changes. Thus, platinum black oxidized vapors of tartar to acetic acid even at ordinary temperatures. Two years later, Döbereiner discovered the ability of spongy platinum to ignite hydrogen at room temperature. If a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen (explosive gas) is brought into contact with platinum black or spongy platinum, then a relatively calm combustion reaction occurs at first. But since this reaction is accompanied by the release of a large amount of heat, the platinum sponge becomes hot, and the explosive gas explodes. Based on his discovery, Döbereiner designed a "hydrogen flint" - a device that was widely used to make fire before the invention of matches.

Platinum black is the smallest powder of platinum with a particle size of 20–40 microns. Like all finely divided metals (even gold), platinum black is black. The catalytic activity of platinum black is much higher than that of the compact metal.

In its compounds, platinum exhibits almost all oxidation states from 0 to +8. But the formation of numerous complex compounds, of which many hundreds are known, is most characteristic of platinum. Many of them bear the names of the chemists who studied them (salts of Koss, Magnus, Peyronet, Zeise, Chugaev, etc.). A great contribution to the study of such compounds was made by the Russian chemist L.A. Chugaev (1973–1922), the first director of the Institute for the Study of Platinum, founded in 1918.

The unusual behavior of platinum complexes can be demonstrated using a number of platinum(IV) compounds, which were obtained and studied as early as the 19th century. Thus, a compound of the composition PtCl 4 2NH 3 in solution practically does not decompose into ions: its aqueous solutions do not conduct current, and with silver nitrate these solutions do not precipitate. The connection PtCl 4 ·4NH 3 gives solutions with high electrical conductivity, which indicates that in water it decomposes into three ions; accordingly, silver nitrate precipitates only two of the four chlorine atoms from such solutions. In the PtCl 4 6NH 3 compound, all four chlorine atoms precipitate from aqueous solutions with silver nitrate; the electrical conductivity of the solutions shows that the salt decomposes into five ions. Finally, in the complex chloride composition PtCl 4 2KCl, as in the first compound, silver nitrate does not precipitate chlorine at all, however, solutions of this substance conduct current, and electrical conductivity indicates the formation of three ions, and exchange reactions reveal potassium ions. These properties are explained by the different structure of complex compounds, in which chloride ions can enter the inner or outer sphere of the complex; while only ions of the outer sphere can dissociate in aqueous solutions, for example: Cl 2 ® 2+ + 2Cl - .

In 1827, the Danish chemist William Zeise unexpectedly obtained a platinum compound containing organic matter– ethylene; subsequently, its structure was established: K H 2 O. At present, many complex compounds of platinum with RCN nitriles, amines R 3 N, pyridine C 5 H 5 N, phosphines R 3 P, sulfides R 2 S, many other organic compounds have been studied . Some of these complexes have found practical application, for example, for the treatment of malignant tumors.

The history of platinum is very interesting and full of surprises. When the Spaniards in the middle of the 16th century. met in South America with a new metal for themselves, outwardly very similar to silver (plata in Spanish), they called it platina, which literally means “little silver”, “silver”. Such a somewhat disparaging name is explained by the exceptional refractoriness of platinum, which did not lend itself to remelting, did not find application for a long time and was valued half as much as silver. But when jewelers discovered that platinum alloyed well with gold, some of them began to mix a relatively cheap metal into gold items. It was impossible to detect a counterfeit by density: platinum is heavier than gold, and with the help of lighter silver it was not difficult to adjust the density of the ingot exactly to that of gold. It ended with the fact that the Spanish king ordered the import of platinum to be stopped, and all its reserves to be drowned in the sea. This law was repealed only in 1778.

In the middle of the 18th century chemists studied the properties of platinum and recognized it as a new element. Due to its exceptional chemical resistance, platinum began to be used for the manufacture of chemical equipment. So, in 1784 the first platinum crucible was made, and in 1809 - a platinum retort weighing 13 kg; such retorts were used to concentrate sulfuric acid. Products from platinum were made by forging or hot pressing, since there were no electric furnaces that gave a sufficiently high temperature then. Over time, they learned to melt platinum in a flame of explosive gas, and at the London Exhibition of 1862 one could see castings from platinum weighing up to 200 kg.

In Russia, platinum was first discovered near Yekaterinburg in the Urals in 1819, and 5 years later, platinum placers were discovered in the Nizhny Tagil district. The Ural deposits were so rich that Russia quickly took first place in the world in the extraction of this metal. So, in 1828 alone, more than 1.5 tons of platinum was mined in Russia - more than in 100 years in South America. And by the end of the 19th century. platinum production in Russia was 40 times higher than the total production in all other countries. One of the platinum nuggets discovered in the Urals had a mass of 9.6 kg!

By the middle of the 19th century. in France and England, extensive research was carried out on the refining (refining of other metals) of platinum. An industrial method for obtaining ingots of pure platinum was first carried out in 1859 by the French chemist A. Saint-Clair Deville. After that, almost all Ural platinum began to be purchased by foreign firms and exported abroad. At first, it was bought up mainly by French and English firms, including the famous Johnson, Mattei and Co. in London. Then American and German firms joined them.

Chemists who studied native platinum discovered a number of new elements in it. At the beginning of the 19th century the English chemist W. Wollaston, studying that part of crude platinum, which was dissolved in aqua regia, discovered palladium and rhodium, and his compatriot S. Tennant discovered iridium and osmium in the insoluble residue. Finally, in 1844, Professor of Kazan University K.K. Klaus discovered the last element of the platinum group - ruthenium.

In 1826, the St. Petersburg engineer P. G. Sobolevsky developed a method for obtaining malleable platinum. For this, native platinum was dissolved in aqua regia and hexachloroplatinic (IV) acid was obtained: 3Pt + 4HNO 3 + 18HCl ® 3H 2 + 4NO + 8H 2 O. From this solution, after its neutralization wasp, almost insoluble ammonium hexachloroplatinate was expected, which was washed and calcined : (NH 4) 2 ® Pt + 2NH 4 Cl + 2Cl 2. The resulting platinum powder (“platinum sponge”) could then be turned into various high quality products by cold and hot pressing and forging. So in Russia the first platinum products were obtained - crucibles, cups, medals, wire. The process gained worldwide fame, even Nicholas I became interested in it, who visited the laboratory and personally observed the purification of platinum. A similar method of processing refractory metals, the so-called powder metallurgy, has not lost its significance to this day.

Sobolevsky's work soon received an unexpected continuation. A large number of platinum mined in the Urals did not find worthy practical application. And then, at the suggestion of the Minister of Finance, E.F. Kankrin, from 1828 in Russia, for the first time in world history, they began to issue platinum coins in denominations of 3.6 and 12 rubles. Such strange denominations are explained by the fact that these coins corresponded in diameter to the usual Russian coins in denominations of 1 ruble, 50 and 25 kopecks. At the same time, a 12-ruble coin had a mass of 41.41 g, and in a ruble coin of pure silver it was 18 g. Thus, in terms of metal value, platinum coins were 5.2 times more expensive than silver ones, which just corresponded to platinum prices in those years .

For 17 years, 1,372,000 three-ruble coins, 17,582 six-ruble coins and 3,303 twelve-ruble coins with a total weight of 14.7 tons were issued! This is a unique case in the world financial system. Russian platinum coins of the 19th century. - a rarity: the price of a 12-ruble coin exceeds $ 5,000.

The owners of the mines, the Demidovs, benefited greatly from the sale of their platinum to the government. In 1840, 3.4 tons of precious metal were already mined. However, in 1845, at the insistence of the new Minister of Finance, F.P. Vronchenko, the issue of platinum coins was discontinued, and all coins were urgently withdrawn from circulation. The reasons for this panic measure are various. They say that they were afraid of counterfeiting these coins abroad (where platinum was allegedly cheaper) and their secret importation into Russia. However, not a single counterfeit coin was found among those withdrawn from circulation. According to another version, more plausible, the demand for platinum and its price in Europe have grown so much that the metal in coins has become more expensive than their face value. But then one should have been afraid of something else: the secret export of coins from Russia, their remelting and sale of ingots. Interestingly, Michael Faraday, in his popular lecture on platinum, delivered on February 22, 1861, showed Russian platinum coins; after analyzing their composition, he found that the coins contained 97% platinum, 1.2% iridium, 0.5% rhodium, 0.25% palladium, as well as impurities of copper and iron. Faraday paid tribute to the Russian masters who managed to mint coins from insufficiently refined and therefore rather fragile platinum.

After the cessation of minting coins from platinum, its production fell sharply (almost 20 times), but then began to grow again. And in 1915, Russia accounted for 95% of the total amount of platinum mined in the world (Columbia received the remaining 5%). However, in Russia it practically did not find demand and almost all of it was exported. So, in 1867 England bought up the entire stock of platinum in Russia - more than 16 tons. By the end of the 19th century platinum production in Russia has reached 4.5 tons per year, and currently around 100 tons per year is mined worldwide. In addition to Russia, platinum is mined in South Africa, Canada, and the USA.

Before the First World War, Colombia was the second largest platinum mining country after Russia; since the 1930s it has been Canada, and after World War II, South Africa. For example, in 1952, only 0.75 tons of platinum was mined in Colombia, 0.88 tons in the USA, 3.75 tons in Canada, and 7.2 tons in the Union of South Africa (in the USSR, data on the extraction of platinum, as well as other strategic materials were classified).

Until about the middle of the 20th century. most of the platinum went to jewelry. Currently, platinum is used mainly for technical purposes. The main area of ​​application of platinum and its alloys is the automotive industry (catalysts for afterburning exhaust gases), electrical engineering (a refractory and chemically resistant platinum spiral or tape in electric furnaces can be heated to almost white heat), petrochemical and organic synthesis (obtaining gasoline with a high octane number, various reactions hydrogenation, isomerization, cyclization, oxidation of organic compounds), ammonia synthesis. Platinum is a structural material for glass melting furnaces for the production of high-quality optical glass. Platinum and its alloys are used to make spinnerets for fiberglass production, high-temperature thermocouples and resistance thermometers, electrodes in electrolysis apparatuses, laboratory glassware and equipment, acid- and heat-resistant equipment of chemical plants.

Platinum is used worldwide in precision instruments. Resistance thermometers are made from thin platinum wire; they can be used to measure temperature with high accuracy and in a very wide range. Thermocouples made of platinum-rhodium alloys containing from 60 to 99% platinum are also widely used; they allow you to measure temperatures up to 2000 K. And in Hungary they invented a lighter with a catalyst made of the thinnest platinum wire. Such a lighter gives a sharp steady flame that is not afraid of the wind.

The mass of platinum in all these products is small. But there are industries that require large quantities this precious metal. For example, in famous Czech glassworks, molten glass mass in a platinum crucible is stirred with a helical platinum stirrer. Despite the high cost, the use of platinum equipment justifies itself, as it makes it possible to obtain high-quality glasses for microscopes, binoculars and other optical instruments.

In the 19th century from an alloy of platinum and iridium, the standards of the meter and kilogram were made, on the basis of which national standards were made different countries(currently, the standard of the meter is the distance traveled by light in a vacuum in a certain time). The first standards of the meter and kilogram were made by Johnson, Mattei and Co. in London from an alloy containing 90% platinum and 10% iridium, which has a very high hardness. These standards were placed in a special repository at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in France. The meter standard had the form of a bar 102 cm long, having the shape of the letter X in cross section, inscribed in a square with a side of 2 cm. At the two ends of the bar, in polished places, the finest strokes were applied, the distance between which was taken as the meter standard. And the kilogram standard from the same alloy had the shape of a straight cylinder with a diameter and a height of 3.9 cm (platinum is a heavy metal!).

For a long time, platinum was also used to determine the standard of light intensity emitted by 1 cm 2 of the surface of molten pure platinum at its solidification temperature.

A small amount of platinum is used to make very beautiful commemorative and commemorative coins intended for collectors. In 1977–1980, 150-ruble coins were made from platinum 999, dedicated to the Olympic Games in Moscow. A total of 14,7378 of these coins were made. Other issues of platinum coins were more modest. For example, in 1993, only 750 such coins dedicated to Russian ballet were minted in Russia. Platinum coins at the end of the 20th century minted in other countries, and not in the largest ones - such as Gibraltar (British possession), Zaire, Lesotho, Macau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Tonga.

Doctors from the state of Ohio (USA) have developed new method anesthesia, in which platinum plays an important role. Using a platinum plate, the spinal cord of the operated patient is connected to an electrical stimulator. By sending electrical signals to the brain at the right time, the stimulator blocks pain sensations.

Crystals of barium tetracyanoplatinate Ba 4H 2 O (previously called barium platinum cyanide) have interesting properties: under the influence of x-rays and radioactive radiation, they glow brightly with a yellow-green light. Previously, screens coated with a composition of this compound were widely used in scientific research; they were used by Konrad Roentgen, Ernst Rutherford and many other famous physicists and chemists

World consumption of platinum (more than 100 tons per year) often exceeds its production. In this case, it is covered by old stocks, as well as the regeneration of platinum from exhausted catalysts. Most of all, platinum (tens of tons per year) is spent on afterburning catalysts for car exhaust gases. In many countries, the majority of cars produced are equipped with such catalytic devices (in Sweden, already in the 80s, the number of such cars was close to 100%).

A lot of platinum goes to jewelry. Interestingly, the lion's share of jewelry platinum is consumed by a relatively small country - Japan. At the same time, the chemical and petrochemical industries consume only a few percent of all platinum, about the same amount - glass, a little more (about 6%) - electrical engineering.

In some countries, platinum, along with gold, is kept in banks; for this purpose, bars weighing 0.5 and 1 kg are cast from it.

Platinum prices on the world market fluctuate, sometimes coming close to gold prices (for example, in February 1988), and sometimes significantly exceeding them (for example, 1 gram of gold in February 2003 cost about 12 dollars, and platinum - more than 22 dollars). !). Chemists are mainly interested in prices for platinum and its compounds as reagents for scientific research. This price depends on three factors: purity (for example, judging by the catalog of the well-known German company Fluka, a gram of platinum wire with a diameter of 1 mm costs about 120 euros with a purity of 99.9%, and about 160 euros with a purity of 99.99%); release forms (powder, shot, foil, wire, mesh, etc.); quantity purchased (discount for larger purchases; for example, a gram of platinum foil 0.5 mm thick and 99.99% pure for a purchase of 7 g will cost half as much as for a purchase of 2 g). In general, purified metals - reagents, as well as chemical compounds containing them (for example, platinum (II) acetylacetonate, platinum (IV) oxide, ammonium hexachloroplatinate (IV), etc.) are much more expensive than "currency" platinum.

Ilya Leenson

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The most valuable of metals

The history of the discovery of metal sends us back several thousand years. Opinions are divided about when platinum was discovered. Some scholars argue that this metal was known and actively used by such ancient civilizations as the Incas, Aztecs and Maya tribes. However, these civilizations existed so long ago that there is no reliable data on this.

The version of other researchers sounds more likely. Platinum was discovered by man in the 18th century in South America. At that time, people did not know its enormous value and treated platinum with disdain. Because of its resemblance to silver and because of the inability to melt it.

Today, the value of platinum is well known to man. According to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the price of platinum is 1,743.75 rubles per gram.

The chemical composition of platinum

In its pure form, like other precious metals, platinum is rare. The most common are nuggets, in which most (80% -88%) is platinum, and the rest is iron. This variety is called polyxene. There are also varieties containing nickel (about 3% nickel), palladium (from 7% to 40% palladium), iridium, rhodium (up to 5% rhodium).

In the periodic table it is called Platina, has the designation Pt. Group - 10, period - 6, atomic number - 78, atomic mass - 195.084 g / mol. Platinum does not interact with most elements. However, under the influence high temperatures reaction may occur.

Platinum reacts with:

• "royal vodka" - dissolves in it at the usual temperature;
• sulfuric acid - dissolves in concentrate, at elevated temperatures;
• liquid bromine - dissolves in concentrate, at elevated temperatures;

When exposed to high temperatures:

• alkalis;
• sodium peroxide;
• halogens;
• sulfur;
• carbon (forms a solid solution);
• selenium;
• silicon (forms a solid solution);
• oxygen (forms volatile oxides).

Metal is a good catalyst. As a catalyst, it is indispensable in industry.

Has a cubic face-centered crystal lattice

In the free state, the metal is a monatomic molecule

Physical Properties

In nature, it is most often found in the form of gray-white nuggets ranging in size from small grains to stones weighing 8 kg.

Main physical characteristics:

• ρ = 21.09-21.45 g/cm3;
• Melting point - 1768.3 ᵒС;
• Boiling point - 3825 ᵒС;
• Thermal conductivity - 71.6 W / m × K;
• Hardness on the Mohs scale - 3.5.

Platinum without impurities is a diamagnet. However, more often in nature it occurs in the form of polyxene, which is magnetized. It has high electrical conductivity and ductility (ductility and ductility).

The metal is most actively used in the chemical industry. Due to its ductility and electrical conductivity, it is suitable for the manufacture of sulfuric acid, as well as laboratory chemical glassware, which is subjected to high temperatures.

Metal is widely used in the electrical industry, if necessary electroplating, as a coating of various elements of electrical appliances.

Platinum as a catalyst is indispensable in the oil refining industry.

In addition, the value of the metal is great in the automotive, glass, monetary industries, in jewelry, medicine (especially in dentistry).

Platinum mining

The championship in the extraction of the precious metal belongs to Russia, South Africa, Canada, the USA, Colombia. Annual production is 36 tons of metal.

The Americans were the first to mine platinum. Russia discovered platinum much later, in 1819 in the Urals. Subsequently, several more deposits of valuable metal were discovered. Already in 1828, production in Russia was 1.5 tons. That significantly exceeded the results of South America. At the end of the 19th century, Russia became the undisputed leader and received 40 times more valuable metal than all other countries.

The current leader is South Africa. Russia is in second place and produces about 25 tons per year. The world reserves of platinum today amount to approximately 80 thousand tons and are divided between South Africa, Russia and America.

artificial platinum

Platinum is considered a rare, precious metal. Its extraction and subsequent rather complicated and time-consuming process. Nevertheless, it is widely used in almost all areas of industry and human life. Its price is quite high and the decrease is not expected. The demand for the metal is growing, and its quantity in nature is only decreasing. In order to make the metal more accessible and somewhat reduce its cost, the World Investment Council decided to artificially synthesize this metal. The Russian science Center Synthestech. For the production of artificial platinum, the cold transmutation method is used.

Light silvery shade, shiny and does not tarnish when exposed to air. In addition, platinum is a very refractory, durable and at the same time malleable metal, however, this is common to many platinoids. Platinum is a rather rare and valuable metal, found in the earth's crust much less frequently than, for example, gold or silver. By the way, it got its name thanks to the latter. In Spanish, "plata" is silver, and "platina" is similar to silver.

The date of discovery of platinum is not exactly known, as it was discovered by the Incas in South America. In Europe, the first mention of platinum (as an unknown metal that cannot be melted - since its melting point is almost 1770 degrees Celsius) appears in the 16th century thanks to the conquests of the Spanish conquistadors. However, regular deliveries of platinum to Western Europe from South America improved only in the 17th-18th centuries. Officially, among European scientists, it began to be considered a new metal only in 1789, after the publication by the French chemist Lavoisier of his List of Simple Substances.

Pure, without foreign impurities, platinum was extracted from platinum ore as early as 1803 by the British scientist William Wollaston. At the same time, he simultaneously discovered two more platinoids (platinum group metals) from the same ore - palladium and rhodium. Interestingly, at the same time, Wollaston was originally a doctor who became interested in the production of medical utensils and instruments from platinum - because of its bactericidal properties and incredible resistance to oxidizing agents. It was he who first discovered that the only substances that can affect platinum in vivo- this is "royal vodka" (a mixture of concentrated hydrochloric and sulfuric, or nitric acid), as well as liquid bromine.

Deposit and mining of platinum.

First platinum deposit discovered many centuries ago by the Inca tribes in South America, and until the 19th century it was the only known source of platinum in the world. In 1819, platinum was discovered in the Russian Empire, in what is now the Krasnoyarsk Territory in Siberia. For a long time, this noble metal was not identified and was referred to as " White gold or simply "new Siberian metal". Full-fledged mining of platinum in Russia began already by the end of the first half of the 19th century - with the invention by Russian scientists of that time of a new technique for forging platinum in a hot state.

In our time, South American deposits in the Andes have begun to deplete and the main promising areas platinum mining located on the territory of only five states:

• Russia (Urals and Siberia);
• China;
• Zimbabwe.

In the 19th and at the very beginning of the 20th century, the Russian Empire became the main supplier of platinum to the world market - from 90 to 95 percent of all supplies of platinum. This continued until this noble metal was overvalued and acquired strategic importance. However, although this happened in the second half of the 19th century (then all issued platinum coins in Russia were withdrawn from circulation during the reign of Paul I and Nicholas I), platinum supplies to Europe continued under Alexander II. Already in the days of the Soviet Union, all data on the extraction of platinum were strictly classified, and they remain so to this day - already in the Russian Federation. Therefore, the rating of Russia as the 3rd or 4th country according to platinum mining in the world, is very conditional. And no one knows even approximately how much platinum is stored in the strategic reserves of the Russian Federation.

At the moment, it is only known for certain that the leader in platinum mining in Russia is state company"Norilsk Nickel". The officially published production of this metal in the 2000s averaged about 20-25 tons of platinum per year. At the same time, South Africa supplies the international market with about 150 tons per year. Already in our time, a new platinum deposit was discovered in the Khabarovsk Territory (a rather large deposit), but its official production is only 3 to 4 tons per year.

Currently discovered deposits platinum in the world suggest a potential production of about 80 thousand tons of this metal. Most of them are located in South Africa (more than 87 percent). In Russia - more than 8%. And in the States - up to 3%. Again, this is official published data. Do not forget that not every country wants to disclose the contents of its strategic storage of precious metals and mining potential.

Application of platinum.

Platinum, like most platinoids, has the same uses:

• jewelry industry;
• dentistry;
• chemical industry (due to catalytic properties);
• electronics and electrical engineering;
• medicine (dishes and tools);
• pharmaceuticals (drugs, mainly oncological);
• astronautics (almost eternal soldering of platinum contacts does not require repair);
• production of lasers (platinum is part of most mirror elements);
• electroplating (for example, non-corrosive parts of submarines);
• production of thermometers.

Prices and dynamics of prices for platinum.

Initially platinum price(when it was brought to Europe in the 17th century) was very low. Despite the beauty of the new metal, it could not be melted down and used properly anywhere. AT early XVIII centuries, when technology allowed it to be melted, counterfeiters began to use platinum to counterfeit gold Spanish reales. Then the Spanish king seized almost all of the platinum and solemnly flooded it in the Mediterranean Sea, and prohibited further deliveries.

All this time platinum price did not exceed half the price of silver.

With the development of new technologies at the beginning of the 19th century and with the isolation of pure platinum by Wollaston, platinum began to be used in various industries, and its price reached that of gold.

In the twentieth century, after realizing the advantages of platinum in physical and chemical properties compared to gold, its price continued to rise. Demand for platinum as a quality chemical catalyst increased in the 1970s, when the global automotive boom began. This noble metal was used to purify exhaust gases (usually in an alloy with other platinoids). It was then that chemists discovered that in a finely dispersed state (i.e., atomized form), platinum actively interacts with the hydrogen component (CH) of the exhaust gases of internal combustion engines.

The financial downturns and crises of the 2000s and 2010s affected demand and platinum price dynamics. During this period (especially in the 2000s), platinum prices fell below a thousand dollars (almost $900) per troy ounce of the precious metal. In the last 10 years, the price of an ounce of platinum below $1,000 has been considered unprofitable. Therefore, it is not surprising that some of the mining (mainly South African) enterprises that mine platinum have closed. Because of this, there was a certain shortage of "white gold" in the supply-demand ratio of platinum in the 2010s, and its price jumped again. However, the decline in Chinese car production in 2014-2015 caused a new decline in platinum prices.

The average price per ounce of platinum in the first half of 2015 was around $1,100. However, experts have their platinum price forecast. According to them, in 2016 the level of the world economy will grow, and China will resume large-scale automobile production, and the price per troy ounce of platinum will exceed at least $1,300, and another platinum metal - palladium - will cost more than $850 per troy ounce.

Moreover, the fact that the Russian Federation still keeps a secret platinum reserves, means that this metal has growth prospects, and, therefore, deserves attention for long-term investment (or, at least, maintaining its financial resources).

Platinum is a rare and sought-after precious metal that has a number of unique properties. Translated from Spanish, the word "fee" means small silver, some say "silver", this metal got its name because of its grayish-white hue.

Platinum has a high density, making it one of the heaviest precious metals. A product made of platinum weighs twice as much as silver. A platinum cube with an edge length of 300 mm would have a weight equal to 0.5 tons.

Platinum is a fairly ductile material. From a small piece of platinum, weighing only 30g, you can get a very thin wire, which could be used to connect the German city of Cologne and the Russian capital Moscow.

Platinum does not undergo oxidation and corrosion, having chemical resistance, it practically does not dissolve in alkalis and acids. "Aqua regia", prolonged exposure to sulfuric acid and liquid bromine can dissolve platinum.

Platinum has a few more good qualities- this is hardness and refractoriness, which makes platinum products resistant to abrasion and resistant to high temperatures. The melting point of "silver" is 18430 ° C, and the boiling point is 3890 ° C.

Platinum compounds in nature

There is little platinum in the earth's crust. In its pure form, platinum is quite rare. Most often it is found in conjunction with rare metals such as iridium. Other metals belonging to the platinum group (ruthenium, osmium and rhodium) can be found in small concentrations. There is also platinum in the form of compounds with copper, iron, chromium and nickel, as well as silver.

Platinum in the ore is represented by small grains or inclusions. Especially large nuggets have not been found in nature.

Scope and history of development of platinum

The first deposits of platinum were found in South America in the 18th century.

For a long time, platinum did not arouse interest among Europeans. Its price was low.

Later, having learned the unique properties of platinum, people began to use it more often. All this led to an increase in prices for the precious metal.

In the earth's crust, platinum is found in small quantities. Therefore, its price is high. So a platinum cube with a 300mm edge length has a market value of $2.0 million.

Platinum in the jewelry industry

Among jewelers, platinum is rightfully considered the queen of precious metals.

Today, platinum jewelry is a symbol of confidence and solidity.

Platinum is used today and how jewelry, and as a reliable investment project.

The high strength of the metal increases the demand for its production. Platinum engagement rings are the most sought after jewelry. They don't wear out. Their prolonged wearing rarely causes an allergic reaction.

The cost of a gram of platinum ranges from 3.5 to 4.5 thousand rubles.

Along with the jewelry field, platinum is indispensable in the production of high-precision electronic equipment and equipment used in scientific research. Platinum is indispensable in instruments designed for precise measurements.