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Platinum Group Elements
Platinum Group Elements — Precious and Strategic The platinum group elements PGEs are six metallic elements that share similar physical and chemical properties: platinum Pt , palladium Pd , rhodium Rh , iridium Ir , osmium Os , and ruthenium Ru . They are among the rarest elements in Earth's crust and have unique catalytic properties that make them indispensable in multiple industries. Applications - Catalytic converters — Platinum, palladium, and rhodium are used in automotive catalytic converters to reduce harmful emissions CO, NOₓ, hydrocarbons . This accounts for 40% of platinum and 80% of palladium demand. - Hydrogen fuel cells — Proton exchange membrane PEM fuel cells use platinum as a catalyst. As hydrogen energy scales up, PGE demand from this sector is expected to grow significantly. - Industrial catalysis — PGEs catalyze chemical reactions in petroleum refining, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and fertilizer production. - Electronics and glass — Used in hard disk drives, LCD glass manufacturing, and electrical contacts. - Investment — Platinum and palladium are traded as precious metals. Geology and Deposit Types PGEs concentrate in mafic and ultramafic igneous rocks through magmatic processes. There are two principal deposit types: 1. Stratiform reef deposits in layered intrusions The Bushveld Complex in South Africa is the world's largest PGE resource by a wide margin. This 2-billion-year-old layered mafic-ultramafic intrusion hosts three major PGE-bearing horizons: the Merensky Reef, the UG2 chromitite, and the Platreef. South Africa contains approximately 90% of the world's known platinum reserves. The Stillwater Complex in Montana, USA, is the only significant PGE producer outside of southern Africa and Russia. 2. Nickel-copper sulfide deposits with PGE by-products PGEs are recovered as valuable by-products from nickel-copper sulfide mining. Canada's Sudbury Complex in Ontario and Lac des Iles in northwestern Ontario are important PGE sources. Sudbury produces platinum, palladium, rhodium, and other PGEs alongside nickel and copper. Russia's Norilsk-Talnakh complex in Siberia is the world's largest palladium producer and a major source of platinum, produced from massive nickel-copper sulfide ores. Supply Concentration and Risk PGE supply is extremely concentrated. South Africa and Russia together account for over 70% of global platinum productio