Palladium is a rare, silvery-white metal used in electronics, jewelry, and other industries. It was discovered in 1803 and is often found in combination with platinum. Palladium resists oxidation and is highly ductile. It can be quite expensive and is available in both pure and alloyed form.
Palladium is a lustrous silvery white metal with the atomic number 46 and the chemical abbreviation of Pd. It is used in electronics, jewelry and some other industries. Because the metal is extremely rare, palladium is considered a precious metal and can command a high price on the open market. Consumers are probably most familiar with it in the form of alloys with other metals or inclusion within electronics. When electronics are recycled and disassembled, palladium is one of the metals that is frequently removed so it can be reused.
The metal was discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston, who named it palladium after the asteroid Pallas. The asteroid, in turn, was named for a Greek goddess of wisdom. The metal is often found in combination with platinum and is often associated with gold, nickel and copper. It resists oxidation and is extremely ductile, meaning it gets to work right away. When palladium is cold worked, the tensile strength increases dramatically.
Palladium alloys are used to make electronic components, especially contacts. It is also used in the manufacture of surgical instruments and some jewellery, especially in the production of white gold, which is an alloy of gold with a white metal. The metal is also sometimes used in purification and processing and is capable of absorbing up to 900 times its volume in hydrogen. This property is often exploited in scientific experiments.
As a member of the platinum group, which also includes metals such as rhodium and iridium, palladium is considered a transition metal. It is one of the softer metals in the platinum group, but retains other valuable properties that are shared by metals in this group. In addition to being resistant to oxidation, palladium resists chemical erosion and intense heat and is highly electrically stable. Many of these metals are used as catalysts due to these well established physical and chemical properties.
While palladium isn’t the most expensive precious metal, it can be quite expensive. Sometimes, the market will be scarce, as manufacturers sometimes stockpile it to avoid shortages on important products. The metal is available in both pure and alloyed form from various supplier companies. Special metalworking techniques are required to work with palladium, which can become brittle or discolor if not handled properly. Pure palladium jewelry is available at high-end retailers.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
