Platinum Metals Review - Volume 26, Issue 4, 1982

The initial phase in the development of a new class of high temperature materials based upon the incorporation of platinum group metals as alloy constituents in nickel based superalloys has been reported here previously. It was shown that the new alloys provide enhanced resistance to environmental corrosion when compared with their conventional base metal counterparts, without detriment to high temperature strength. This paper describes the results of more detailed studies of the constitutional and structural aspects of these complex alloys which led to the design of a developmental alloy, RJM2012, specifically tailored for operation under the aggressive environmental conditions found in the industrial and marine gas turbine.

When palladium is plated from an appropriate electrolyte the deposit possesses similar physical properties to those of hard gold, making it a very suitable electrical contact material. The relative cost of the two metals helps to account for the growing interest in the electrodeposition of palladium and the properties of the deposits, which are discussed here.

The performance of dispenser cathodes has been considerably improved over the last quarter of a century. This review considers advances made in the materials used either for the matrix of the thermionic emitter, or to coat its surface, which have resulted in lower effective work functions. The use of iridium, osmium and ruthenium has played a significant role in this improvement.

For many years platinum-wound furnaces have been established as a means of obtaining high temperatures without the complication of a protective atmosphere to surround the resistance elements. Indeed, such electric furnaces were first produced commercially in Germany around the turn of the present century. The history of their early development has, however, never been described, and in this paper the author gives a detailed account of their origin and their gradual development into valuable items of laboratory equipment.