Anisotropic and average intrinsic electrical resistivity measurements of ruthenium were evaluated from 10 K to 1600 K and average values above this temperature up to the melting point. For osmium average values were evaluated from 30 K to 273.15 K and anisotropic and average values above this temperature and up to 1600 K.

Iridium as a barrier coating is an important area of high-temperature application. In Part I, the introduction was presented and the different deposition processes were reviewed (1). This paper, Part II, describes the texture and structure evolution, mechanical properties, growth mechanisms and applications of Ir coatings. The mechanisms of micropore formation after high-temperature treatment are also investigated in some detail.

The successful use in rocket engines of iridium as a barrier coating is an important area of high-temperature application. The Ir coating must be continuous and dense in order to protect the underlying material from corrosion and oxidation. The microstructure and morphology of the coating can be effectively controlled by varying the deposition conditions. The microstructure has an important influence on the physical and mechanical properties of the coating. A number of deposition processes, which have different conditions and requirements, have been employed to produce Ir coatings on various substrate materials. Part I of this paper presents the introduction and reviews the different deposition processes, while Part II will deal with texture and structure evolution, mechanical properties, growth mechanisms and applications of Ir coatings. The mechanisms of micropore formation after high-temperature treatment will also be investigated in some detail.

A novel process for the recovery of platinum group metals (pgms) from ternary alloys using a hydrocarbonyl process is proposed. The hydrocarbonyl process involves treatment of a chloride solution of the pgms with carbon monoxide at ambient pressure. The results demonstrate that the process can provide high purity pgms from a ternary platinum-rhodium-palladium alloy such as that obtained from palladium-nickel catchment alloys used with platinum-rhodium gauzes during high temperature ammonia oxidation.

Barring the presence of significant amounts of impurities, an important cause of thermoelectric inhomogeneity and therefore calibration drift of platinum-rhodium thermocouples at high temperatures is the vaporisation and transport of the oxides of Pt and Rh, which causes local changes in wire composition. By examining the vapour pressures of Pt and Rh oxides and their temperature dependence, it is shown that at a given temperature there is an optimal wire composition at which evaporation of the oxides has no effect on the wire composition, provided the vapour does not leave the vicinity of the wire. This may also have applications for Pt-Rh heater elements.

The thermodynamic properties were reviewed by the author in 1995. A new assessment of the enthalpy of fusion has led to a revision of the thermodynamic properties of the liquid phase and although the enthalpy of sublimation at 298.15 K is retained as 377 ± 4 kJ mol^–1 the normal boiling point is revised to 3272 K at one atmosphere pressure.

Definitive equations are suggested to represent the variation with temperature of the densities and molar volumes of the liquid platinum group metals whilst the previously unknown initial slopes of the melting curves for iridium, rhodium and ruthenium are estimated. 1. Introduction Paradis et al. (1) summarised determinations of the densities of the liquid platinum group metals but a...

In the century since the first platinum gauze for nitric acid production was made by Johnson Matthey, the demand for nitric acid has increased considerably with its vast number of applications: from fertiliser production to mining explosives and gold extraction. Throughout the significant changes in the industry over the past 100 years, there has been continual development in Johnson Matthey’s gauze technology to meet the changing needs of customers: improving efficiency, increasing campaign length, reducing metal losses and reducing harmful nitrous oxide emissions. This article reviews the progress in gauze development over the past century and looks at recent developments.

The properties and glass-forming ability (GFA) of platinum- and palladium-based bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) for jewellery were introduced in Part I of this two-part review (1). Here, we will describe methods for their processing, tarnishing and corrosion resistance and consider their prospects and future developments.

Titanium-platinum (Ti₅₀Pt₅₀) (all compositions in at%) alloy exhibits thermoelastic martensitic phase transformation above 1000°C and has potential for high-temperature shape memory material applications. However, as has been previously reported, Ti₅₀Pt₅₀ alloy exhibited a negligible recovery ratio (0–11%) and low strength in martensite and especially in the austenite phase due to low critical stress for slip deformation. In order to improve the high-temperature strength and shape memory properties, the effects of partial substitution of Ti with other Group 4 elements such as zirconium and hafnium and the effect of partial substitution of Pt with other platinum group metals (pgms) such as iridium and ruthenium on the high-temperature mechanical and shape memory properties of Ti₅₀Pt₅₀ alloy were recently investigated. This paper reviews the transformation temperatures and high-temperature mechanical and shape memory properties of recently developed Ti site substituted (Ti,Zr)₅₀Pt₅₀, (Ti,Hf)₅₀Pt₅₀ and Pt site substituted Ti₅₀(Pt,Ru)₅₀ and Ti₅₀(Pt,Ir)₅₀ alloys for high-temperature (~800°C–1100°C) material applications.

For the metals used in jewellery, high hardness and the associated scratch resistance are much sought after. Conventional crystalline alloys for jewellery are alloyed and extensively processed (thermally and mechanically) to improve hardness, but it is difficult to reach values beyond 300 HV. The advent of bulk metallic glasses (BMGs), based on precious metals and with hardness exceeding 300 HV in the as-cast state, is therefore of great interest for both jewellery and watchmaking. The non-crystalline structure of these materials not only gives high hardness, but also the opportunity to shape metals like plastics, via thermoplastic forming (TPF). For more traditional jewellery manufacture, BMGs also exhibit high-definition and near-net-shape casting. Gold-based alloys have long dominated the consideration of BMGs for jewellery as they can comply with 18 karat hallmarks. Although BMGs based on platinum or palladium possess excellent thermoplastic formability and are without known tarnishing problems, achieving useful glass-forming ability (GFA) within the more restrictive hallmarking standards typically used for jewellery (≥95 wt% platinum or palladium) is at best challenging. In this two-part review, platinum- and palladium-based BMGs are discussed, focusing on their potential application in jewellery and on the further research that is necessary.

Platinum-rhodium gauzes are frequently used to catalyse the high temperature ammonia oxidation step for production of synthetic nitrogen-based fertilisers. The gauzes suffer from Pt loss in the form of platinum dioxide (PtO₂), due to the highly exothermic nature of the oxidation reaction. Industrially this is mitigated by installing one or more palladium-nickel catchment gauzes directly downstream of the combustion gauzes, to capture the lost Pt. The Pd-Ni catchment gauzes undergo severe structural modification during operation. In this study, we undertake a systematic study in a laboratory-scale furnace system to determine the role of each of the constituent gases O₂, H₂O and PtO₂ on the structural changes of the Pd-Ni gauzes. In addition, some samples are exposed to real industrial conditions in an ammonia combustion pilot plant reactor. Fresh and spent catchment gauzes are analysed by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy/optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-MS/OES). By combining analysis of samples from furnace and pilot scale experiments, the main findings are that Pd-Ni gauzes undergo internal oxidation to nickel(II) oxide (NiO); which in the presence of steam results in Ni depletion and that PtO₂ vapour causes severe grain reconstruction. Furthermore, in laboratory-scale experiments no significant Pd loss is observed, which is in contrast to observations from the pilot plant where the samples are exposed to real post-ammonia oxidation conditions. Pd loss is likely attributed to some gas species contained in the real post-ammonia oxidation gas stream.

The down-scaling of nanoelectronic devices to ever smaller dimensions and greater performance has pushed silicon-based devices to their physical limits. Much effort is currently being invested in research to examine the feasibility of replacing Si by a higher mobility semiconductor, such as germanium, in niche high-performance metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) devices. Before Ge can be adopted in industry, a suitable contact material for the active areas of a transistor must be identified. It is proposed that platinum group metal (pgm) germanides be used for this purpose, in a similar manner as metal silicides are used in Si technology. Implementation of Ge-based technology requires a thorough understanding of the solid-state interactions in metal/Ge systems in order to foresee and avoid problems that may be encountered during integration. We present a systematic study of the solid-state interactions in germanide systems of four of the pgms: iridium, platinum, palladium and rhodium. Our approach was essentially twofold. Firstly, conventional thin film couples were used to study the sequence of phase formation in the germanide systems. Conventional thin film couples were also used to identify and monitor the dominant diffusing species during the formation of some of the germanides as these can influence the thermal stability of a device. Secondly, we observed and analysed several aspects of the lateral diffusion reactions in these four systems, including activation energies and diffusion mechanisms. Lateral diffusion couples were prepared by the deposition of thick rectangular islands of one material on to thin films of another material. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and microprobe-Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (μRBS) were used to analyse several aspects of the thin film and lateral diffusion interactions respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were also employed.

BIORECOVER brings together diverse expertise with the goal of developing a new sustainable and safe process, essentially based on biotechnology, for selective extraction of critical raw materials (CRMs), rare earth elements (REE), magnesium and platinum group metals (pgms). The four-year European Union (EU) H2020 project involves 14 international partners from mining, microbiology, chemistry, engineering, metallurgy, sustainable process development, as well as CRM end-users. Starting from relevant unexploited secondary and primary sources of CRMs, BIORECOVER will develop and integrate three stages for CRM extraction: (a) removal of major impurities present in raw materials; (b) mobilisation of CRMs through use of microorganisms; and (c) development of specific technologies for recovering metals with high selectivity and purity that meet the quality requirements for reuse. Downstream processes will be developed and recovered metals will be assessed by end-users. Modelling and integration of the modular stages and economic and environmental assessment will be done to develop the most effective and sustainable process. This short feature describes the aims and approach, project technologies and intended outputs of the BIORECOVER project.

Platinum-based knitted gauzes are the most efficient catalysts for the production of nitric oxide, as a precursor to the manufacture of nitric acid and caprolactam. Decades of research and optimisation have resulted in a greater understanding of ammonia oxidation kinetics and associated metal movement within these catalyst packs, along with the development of beneficial binary and ternary alloys. The design of a pack has evolved from the simple addition or removal of metal to modelling the optimal installed metal content and distribution. This review discusses the fundamental kinetics and in situ metal loss for ammonia oxidation catalysts in nitric acid applications and outlines how they can, in conjunction with prevailing platinum group metal (pgm) market conditions and plant key performance indicators (KPIs), influence the optimal catalyst design.

Clustered together in the centre of the Periodic Table lie six remarkable elements, six metals without which the world would be a completely different place. Think about the food you eat, your computer, your car, your mobile phone or even the clothes you wear. At some stage during their production one or more of these six rare metals has been utilised, whether as a catalyst or perhaps in...

An optimal platinum alloy for precision casting was developed by taking 25 possible alloying elements into consideration. In order to rank these elements an equation was designed. The ranking allowed five promising alloy compositions to be identified. From these five alloys arc melted buttons were produced and tested for homogeneity and hardness to ensure their suitability as jewellery alloys. A pyrometer was used to measure solidus temperatures. In a second iteration, the five alloys were further improved and the most promising alloys were cast and compared to a commonly used jewellery alloy: platinum-copper-gallium (PtCuGa). The comparison was based on the melting interval and on microstructural investigations, carried out by scanning electron and optical microscopy, while mechanical properties were determined by tensile testing. Additionally, optical properties such as reflectivity and colour were investigated. After the second iteration two very promising compositions were identified: PtCuFeMnCr and PtCuFePdVY.

The thermodynamic properties were reviewed by the author in 1995. A new assessment of the enthalpy of fusion at 68.0 ± 1.7 kJ mol⁻¹ leads to a revision of the thermodynamic properties of the liquid phase and although the enthalpy of sublimation at 298.15 K is retained as 788 ± 4 kJ mol⁻¹ the normal boiling point is revised to 5565 K at one atmosphere pressure.

The 28th annual Santa Fe Symposium® was held from 18th–21st May 2014 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, and attracted another large attendance of delegates from 15 countries worldwide, representing a good cross-section of those involved in jewellery manufacturing from mass manufacture to specialised craft operations. In general, many were finding the market is tougher now than a few years...

Platinum-20% rhodium strengthened by oxides of zirconium and yttrium were prepared by solidification of platinum-rhodium-(zirconium)-yttrium powder which had been internally oxidised. After forging, rolling and annealing, 1 mm plates were obtained. Then the plates were mechanically ground to 50–70 μm from rolling-normal direction, followed by argon ion milling until a hole appeared on the centre of the foil to obtain samples which were characterised by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), combined with thermodynamic analysis. The existence of spherical ZrO₂ and Y₂O₃ particles was verified with platinum and rhodium present as pure metals at the same time. It was found that the deformation behaviour of ZrO₂ and Y₂O₃ particles was quite different during processing, where the former basically maintain their spherical shape and were bonded tightly to matrix, while the latter were compressed along normal direction and form two cracks on both sides of Y₂O₃ particles along the rolling direction. The differences in hardness and interface bonding properties of these two types of particles are supposed to be the main causes of different deformation behaviour during hot forging and cold rolling.