Element 78 · Transition Metal
Platinum
Platinum — denser than gold, rarer than gold, and the workhorse of catalytic conversion technology.
Element Facts
SYMBOL
Pt
ATOMIC NO.
78
ATOMIC WEIGHT
195.08
CATEGORY
Transition Metal
PERIOD
Period 6
GROUP
Group 10
Overview
Platinum is element 78, a dense (21.45 g/cm³), unreactive, silvery-white transition metal. Pre-Columbian South American civilisations worked platinum centuries before Europeans recognised it as a distinct metal. Today, the largest single use of platinum is automotive catalytic converters, where it catalyses the oxidation of unburned hydrocarbons in petrol exhaust. Platinum is also irreplaceable in fuel cell electrodes, making it strategically important for the hydrogen economy. South Africa produces over 70% of global platinum. The LBMA platinum market price has been more stable than palladium or rhodium through 2021–2026.
Our Scrap Grades for This Metal
We buy platinum through catalytic converters, which contain valuable platinum group metals (PGMs) on their ceramic substrates.