What are precious metals?
Were precious metals created by big explosions in outer space?
Inside stars, extreme temperatures melt and fuse the nuclei of atoms to form larger atoms. When different atoms combine, they create entirely new elements. This process is repeated and gradually creates heavier elements like gold that scientists believe were scattered throughout the universe by supernova explosions that formed planets like Earth.
The gold jewelry you wear may have been part of a distant star. When you think about it this way, the golden glow seems more mysterious.
Precious metals are used in a wide range of fields
Precious metals are rare metals available in a very limited supply. Gold and platinum are often used in jewelry, such as engagement and wedding rings. Humans have a long relationship with precious metals, and it is said that we were already using gold in jewelry 6,000 years ago.
Gold has long been used as currency around the world and is treasured as a means of preserving wealth. Precious metals are also excellent materials that continuously support industrial development.
Each material has its own unique properties, such as heat resistance and corrosion resistance, that are highly valued and indispensable to cutting-edge technology.
Eight kinds of precious metals on Earth
Precious metals are rare metals available in a very limited supply. They include well-known gold, silver and platinum as well as lesser known palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium – a total of only eight types of precious metals on Earth. Each has excellent properties and is used in various industries.
Now let’s introduce the eight types of precious metals.
Heat resistant with a wide range of applications extending from catalysts to anticancer drugs, platinum is said to have untapped potential.
Soft and easy to process, gold is used to make ultra-fine electric wires in smartphones and protective membranes that shield spacecraft from infrared radiation.
Silver is highly reflective of visible light and used in mirrors. It also has excellent disinfecting and antibacterial properties.
Palladium absorbs large amounts of hydrogen and is used to produce hydrogen for fuel cells, etc.
Extremely hard and resistant to melting, rhodium is used in electroplating to harden the surfaces of electronic components.
Featuring excellent hardness and corrosion resistance, iridium is used in automotive spark plugs.
Ruthenium is used as a photocatalyst to generate hydrogen from water.
Osmium is easily oxidized, making it useful in forensic investigations and biotechnology.
