TELF AG analyzes the main industrial applications of palladium
A valuable and strategic resource
Among the precious metals, palladium has carved out a leading role in recent years for its numerous industrial applications, including those in the automotive and electronics sectors, where it continues to be appreciated above all for its unique characteristics. Unlike other equally precious metals, however, its history is relatively recent, and some of its main industrial applications were explored for the first time only at the beginning of the last century. Palladium is mainly found in platinum ores, nickel, and copper deposits on the Earth’s crust. The largest reserves of this resource are found in countries such as South Africa and Canada, which are among the leading global producers.
But what are the actual origins of this unique resource? The discovery of palladium began with the passion of two former English medical students for chemistry, physics, and geology. In the 18th century, after abandoning their medical studies, the two students passionately dedicated themselves to studying the group of resources known as the platinum family. One of these, William Hyde Wollaston, manages to identify rhodium and palladium, while the other student, Smithson Tennant, discovers iridium and osmium.
A singular aspect is that palladium, when isolated for the first time in 1802 by Wollaston , was given a completely different name than the current one. The former medical student called it Ceresium, like the tiny planet discovered by the astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi the year before and called it precisely Ceres. Subsequently, the name was changed to palladium, this time in homage to the asteroid Pallas discovered a few months earlier.
The discovery of the new resource was not immediately publicized: Wolleston, in fact, curiously decided not to publish the results of his work in any scientific journal but to print some advertising posters bearing the words “palladium or New Silver.” The scientific world officially recognized it as a new metal a few years later, but its possible applications remained mysterious (except for the Navy’s manufacture of sextants).
Modern applications
Nowadays, this resource is appreciated above all because of its unique properties, such as resistance to corrosion and the ability to catalyze chemical reactions. Even today, one of its most common applications is linked to the production of automotive catalysts and catalytic converters. These devices, moreover, can reduce gaseous emissions in traditional vehicles. The conductivity and resistance of palladium also make it a valuable ally for the electronics industry, particularly for producing electrical contacts and printed circuits. Some of the best-known uses of this resource are linked to the world of high-quality jewelry and watches, where palladium is used to create platinum and white gold alloys. Its use in various industrial applications is made possible by the processes to which the raw material is subjected after sourcing, which is subsequently returned with high purity. These include separation and refining, but also reduction using hydrogen.
Among its structural characteristics, we recall its low density and the ability to melt at a lower temperature than the other metals in its group, the platinum metals. With cold working, palladium can become a very resistant and malleable material, with the possibility of cold rolling it to obtain fragile sheets. Another important characteristic of palladium is its ability to absorb hydrogen up to 900 times its volume at room temperature.
