Wednesday, 4 May 2011

High-Value Precious Metals

By Jacob Watson


A metal that occurs very rarely in nature and also has a great deal of value in the economic world can be called a precious metal. These have been mostly used as currency in the past, but nowadays they also form a good investment. They include gold, platinum, silver and palladium.

Sometimes the discovery of greater sources of the ore containing the precious metal may result in reducing the value. Its demand and market value also determines the status of a precious metal. In bulk form, precious metals are also known as bullion and can be traded in the share market. The value of precious metals lies in their purity.

Ag is the chemical name given to the precious metal silver and is also known as Argentum, which means shining grey. Silver is shiny and soft to the touch and is a great conductor of heat and electricity. It occurs in nature mixed with gold and other metals and one can also obtain it as argentite and chlorargyrite. Silver has been traditionally used in utensils, valuable tableware, ornaments and various forms of jewelry as well as in coins. Industrially, it is used in mirrors, in catalysis and conductors. Silver has many compounds and these can be used in photographic films and also for the purpose of disinfecting.

Pd is the chemical name for the precious metal palladium which is also silvery white in appearance. It is part of the platinum family of metals and has some very special characteristics in the form of low density and melting point. Hence, it is industrially used in the process of catalytic converters which do the task of removing the toxicity from exhaust gases of automobiles and change them into non-toxic ones. You can also find the precious metal palladium used in computers, mobile phones, ceramic capacitors and in electrical circuits. It can be seen in the medical industry and is used in dentistry too.

It is very rare to find the ores of palladium and greatest deposits have been discovered in Transvaal in South Africa and in Montana, United States as well as Ontario in Canada and in Russia. Apart from mining here, the precious metal palladium can also be recovered by recycling from the scrap of catalytic converters. It is limited in supply and has a wide variety of applications and hence is drawing a lot of investment interest.




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