Many of the unique physical and chemical characteristics of PGMs make them indispensable to modern technology and industry, and their markets are many and varied, from the automotive industry to the medical field.
Their catalytic properties – particularly those of Platinum, Palladium and Rhodium – make them ideally suited to many applications aimed at countering the effects of air pollution and limiting the production of greenhouse gases. Another distinctive characteristic of PGMs is that they are recyclable.
Platinum has also found good use in jewellery and due to its high degree of purity it does not fade or tarnish while its strength and density provides a good setting for precious stones. Platinum, Palladium and Rhodium have a multitude of uses in fertilizer making and in the petroleum industry. Palladium is also widely used in the electronics industry while PGMs combine to make alloys of exceptional hardness and quality.