Platinum

Platinum — Material Page

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Platinum (Pt, atomic number 78) is a Group 10 FCC platinum-group metal (PGM) with a melting point of 1,768 °C, density of 21.45 g/cm³, and exceptional chemical stability — resisting oxidation, tarnishing, and attack by all common acids except aqua regia (HNO₃/HCl), making it the most chemically stable structural metal used at elevated temperatures. Platinum is rare (~0.005 ppb crustal abundance) and is produced primarily as a byproduct of Ni-Cu mining from the Bushveld Complex (South Africa, ~70% of world supply) and Norilsk (Russia); global annual production is ~180–200 tonnes. Like gold, Pt owes its chemical nobility partly to relativistic effects that stabilize the 6s orbital, raising its standard reduction potential (E° = +1.18 V for Pt²⁺/Pt). Pt exists in oxidation states +2 and +4; the square-planar Pt²⁺ coordination complex cisplatin (cis-) is one of the most important anticancer drugs ever developed, used in ~50% of all cancer chemotherapy regimens.

Automotive catalytic converters account for ~40% of platinum demand (~70–80 tonnes/year), where Pt catalyzes oxidation of CO and unburned hydrocarbons and, in three-way catalysts combined with Rh, reduction of NOₓ — collectively converting >99% of harmful exhaust emissions to CO₂, H₂O, and N₂ at operating temperatures of 400–900 °C. The wash-coat (Al₂O₃ with ~1–5 g Pt/converter) must remain active over 100,000+ miles and survive thermal cycling from cold start to full operating temperature thousands of times — achieved by stabilizing Pt nanoparticles (~2–5 nm) against sintering using CeO₂ oxygen storage components and La/Ba promoters. Pt-based fuel cell catalysts (Pt/C and Pt-alloy nanoparticles, ~0.1–0.4 mg Pt/cm²) catalyze the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the cathode of PEM fuel cells — reducing Pt loading without sacrificing activity is the primary cost-reduction target for automotive fuel cell commercialization.

The international prototype metre bar (1889–1960) was made of Pt-10%Ir alloy, and the original international prototype kilogram (1889–2019) was also Pt-10%Ir — making Pt central to the history of metrology and the SI unit system. Platinum resistance thermometers (PRTs, based on the well-characterized linear resistance-temperature relationship of Pt, α ≈ 3.85 × 10⁻³/°C) are the primary standard thermometers from –259 °C to +962 °C defining the ITS-90 temperature scale, and are the most accurate contact temperature sensors available. Pt-Rh thermocouples (Type S: Pt-10%Rh vs. Pt; Type R: Pt-13%Rh vs. Pt; Type B: Pt-30%Rh vs. Pt-6%Rh) are the standard for high-accuracy temperature measurement from 600 °C to 1,700 °C in oxidizing atmospheres, used in glass melting, metallurgy, and calibration laboratories worldwide.

General Properties

Property	Value	Notes
Atomic Number	78	Group 10, Period 6; 4f¹⁴5d⁹6s¹; dominant oxidation states +2 (square-planar Pt²⁺ complexes: cisplatin, PtCl₄²⁻) and +4 (octahedral Pt⁴⁺: PtCl₆²⁻, carboplatin prodrug). The square-planar geometry of Pt²⁺ complexes — a consequence of the strong-field d⁸ configuration — is the structural basis for cisplatin's DNA cross-linking anticancer mechanism.
Atomic Mass	195.084 u	Six naturally occurring isotopes: ¹⁹⁰Pt (0.012%, Stable*), ¹⁹²Pt (0.782%), ¹⁹⁴Pt (32.86%), ¹⁹⁵Pt (33.78%, NMR-active), ¹⁹⁶Pt (25.21%), ¹⁹⁸Pt (7.36%). ¹⁹⁵Pt NMR is the primary characterization tool for Pt coordination complexes, anticancer drug-DNA adducts, and Pt catalyst surface species.
Density (20 °C)	21.45 g/cm³	Very high density — less than Os (22.59) and Ir (22.56) but higher than Au (19.32) and Re (21.02). The high density combined with chemical inertness is exploited in Pt-10%Ir alloy metrology artifacts (prototype kilogram, metre bar) and in Pt electrodes for electrochemical reference systems.
Melting Point	1,768.3 °C (2,041.3 K)	A fixed point on the ITS-90 international temperature scale (1,768.3 °C) — the highest fixed point on ITS-90 defined by a metal freezing point. Used to calibrate high-temperature thermometers, pyrometers, and Type S/R/B Pt-Rh thermocouples in national metrology laboratories.
Boiling Point	3,825 °C	High boiling point supports use of Pt in high-temperature furnace windings (Pt-Rh alloy resistance wire, to ~1,600 °C in air) and as sputtering targets for PVD deposition of Pt thin films for catalysis, electrochemistry, and microelectronics applications.
Thermal Conductivity	71.6 W/m·K	Moderate for a PGM — lower than Ir (147 W/m·K) and Rh (150 W/m·K). Adequate for Pt thermocouple wire and resistance thermometer applications; the thermal conductivity of Pt is sufficiently well characterized that it is used to calibrate thermal conductivity measurement apparatus.
Electrical Resistivity	105 nΩ·m (20 °C)	Well-characterized, reproducible, and nearly linear temperature dependence (α ≈ 3.85 × 10⁻³/°C) — the basis of platinum resistance thermometers (PRTs) as primary temperature standards from –259 to +962 °C on ITS-90. Pt resistivity increases ~3× from 20 °C to 1,000 °C, enabling precise temperature measurement over a wide range.
Crystal Structure	FCC, a = 3.924 Å (room temperature)	FCC structure gives Pt 12 slip systems and good ductility — Pt can be drawn into fine wire (to ~10 µm) and rolled into thin foil and gauze for catalytic applications. The Pt(111) surface is among the most studied in surface science — model system for CO oxidation, oxygen reduction, and electrochemical double-layer studies.

Mechanical Properties

Property	Value	Notes
Tensile Strength	125–200 MPa	Low strength in pure form — comparable to soft Au; Pt is work-hardened for applications requiring higher strength (drawn wire, rolled gauze). Pt-Rh, Pt-Ir, and Pt-Pd alloys provide dramatically higher strength while retaining oxidation resistance for high-temperature applications.
Yield Strength	30–120 MPa	Very low yield strength in annealed form; work hardening is significant — cold-drawn Pt wire can reach ~300 MPa YS. The low yield strength of pure Pt limits its use as a structural material but enables forming of fine gauze and wire for catalytic reactor applications.
Young's Modulus	168 GPa	Moderate modulus — higher than Au (78 GPa) and Pd (121 GPa). Used in FEA modeling of Pt thin-film electrode stress on flexible substrates and Pt resistance thermometer wire deflection under thermal cycling in calibration furnaces.
Hardness	~56 HV (annealed)	Soft in pure annealed form; work-hardened Pt wire reaches ~100–120 HV. Pt-10%Ir alloy (used for the international prototype kilogram) has ~200 HV — the Ir addition provides the necessary hardness and wear resistance for a precision artifact.
Elongation at Break	30–50%	Good ductility enables fine wire drawing and gauze weaving for catalytic applications. Pt gauze (90–95% Pt, 5–10% Rh) woven from ~0.076 mm wire is the standard catalyst for the Ostwald process (NH₃ oxidation to NO for HNO₃ production) and for HCN synthesis.
Poisson's Ratio	0.38	High Poisson's ratio typical of FCC noble metals. Used in stress analysis of Pt thin-film sensors and electrodes under biaxial thermal and mechanical loading in MEMS and implantable device applications.

Chemical Properties

Property	Value / Behavior	Notes
Oxidation States	+2 (square-planar: PtCl₄²⁻, cisplatin); +4 (octahedral: PtCl₆²⁻, carboplatin)	Cisplatin (cis-) and carboplatin (Pt²⁺ with cyclobutane-1,1-dicarboxylate) are among the most widely used anticancer drugs — they form intrastrand d(GpG) and d(ApG) DNA cross-links that trigger apoptosis. Oxaliplatin (Pt²⁺ with oxalate and diaminocyclohexane) overcomes cisplatin resistance in colorectal cancer.
Corrosion Resistance	Outstanding; resists O₂, H₂O, HCl, HNO₃, H₂SO₄, HF; dissolves in aqua regia and molten alkalis; slowly attacked by Cl₂ and Br₂ at high temperatures	Pt's nobility (E° = +1.18 V) underpins its use in laboratory crucibles, electrochemical reference electrodes (Pt quasi-reference, Pt/H₂ SHE), and high-temperature furnace components. Pt is attacked by molten alkali metal hydroxides and by phosphorus at high temperature — relevant to crucible selection in analytical chemistry.
Surface Oxide	Surface PtO and Pt(OH)₂ species form electrochemically above ~0.8 V vs. RHE; PtO₂ at high potentials; no bulk oxide stable at RT in air	Electrochemical Pt surface oxide formation/reduction (the "oxide region" in Pt cyclic voltammetry, 0.7–1.5 V vs. RHE) is central to understanding Pt catalyst degradation in PEM fuel cells — Pt dissolution and Ostwald ripening during potential cycling causes particle growth and active surface area loss over fuel cell lifetime.

Identifier	Value
Symbol	Pt
Atomic Number	78
CAS Number	7440-06-4
UN Number	UN3089 (powder)
EINECS Number	231-116-1

Isotope	Type	Notes
¹⁹⁰Pt	Stable*	0.012% natural abundance; I = 0; Stable* — alpha decay to ¹⁸⁶Os measured: t½ = 6.5 × 10¹¹ yr (~47× the age of the universe). Not listed in the source; added here. The ¹⁹⁰Pt→¹⁸⁶Os decay system produces measurable excess ¹⁸⁶Os in Pt-rich mantle peridotites and ore deposits, used alongside the Re-Os system to trace deep mantle processes. Despite its very low abundance, ¹⁹⁰Pt alpha decay is one of the few geochronologically useful long-lived alpha emitters outside the U-Th decay chains.
¹⁹²Pt	Stable	0.782% natural abundance; I = 0. Not listed in the source; added here. ¹⁹²Pt is used as an IDMS spike isotope in Pt isotope ratio and concentration measurements by MC-ICP-MS in geological and environmental samples. Its low natural abundance makes it a preferred spike for dilution calculations.
¹⁹⁴Pt	Stable	32.86% natural abundance; I = 0. Second most abundant Pt isotope; used as a reference isotope in Pt isotope ratio measurements (¹⁹⁴Pt/¹⁹⁵Pt, ¹⁹⁴Pt/¹⁹⁶Pt) for PGM geochemistry, anticancer drug metabolism studies using Pt isotope tracers, and environmental monitoring of Pt road dust from catalytic converters.
¹⁹⁵Pt	Stable	33.78% natural abundance — the most abundant Pt isotope; I = 1/2, NMR-active. ¹⁹⁵Pt NMR (chemical shift range ~13,000 ppm — one of the widest of any NMR nucleus) is the primary tool for characterizing Pt coordination complexes, cisplatin-DNA adducts, Pt catalyst surface species, and Pt-containing anticancer drug metabolites in biofluids. The large shift range makes ¹⁹⁵Pt NMR uniquely sensitive to coordination geometry and trans influence.
¹⁹⁶Pt	Stable	25.21% natural abundance; I = 0. Used alongside ¹⁹⁴Pt and ¹⁹⁸Pt in multi-isotope Pt ratio measurements for provenance studies of PGM ore deposits and for monitoring environmental contamination from autocatalyst wear particles in urban road dust and river sediments.
¹⁹⁸Pt	Stable	7.36% natural abundance; I = 0. ¹⁹⁸Pt(n,γ)¹⁹⁹Pt (σ = 3.67 barn) produces ¹⁹⁹Pt (t½ = 30.8 min, β⁻), used as a short-lived radiotracer for studying Pt dissolution and redeposition kinetics in electrochemical systems and for NAA determination of Pt in geological and environmental matrices.

Scientific & Research Applications

Use Case	Form Typically Used	Description
Electrochemistry & Reference Electrodes	Pt wire/foil (99.99%+), Pt mesh counter electrodes, Pt/H₂ standard hydrogen electrode	Pt is the universal counter electrode material in three-electrode electrochemical cells — its chemical inertness and high exchange current density for H₂ evolution/oxidation make it ideal. The standard hydrogen electrode (SHE, Pt/H₂, a_H⁺=1) defines the zero of the electrochemical potential scale; Pt quasi-reference electrodes are used in non-aqueous and ionic liquid electrolytes.
PEM Fuel Cell Catalyst Research	Pt/C nanoparticles (2–5 nm, 20–60 wt% Pt); Pt-alloy catalysts (Pt₃Ni, Pt₃Co on carbon)	Pt and Pt-alloy nanoparticles catalyze the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at PEM fuel cell cathodes — the primary technical bottleneck for automotive fuel cell cost reduction. Research targets Pt-alloy catalysts (Pt₃Ni, Pt₃Co) with 4–10× higher ORR activity than Pt/C, and Pt-skin/skeleton structures that resist dealloying and maintain activity over thousands of potential cycles.
Resistance Thermometry (PRTs)	High-purity Pt wire (99.999%, SPRT grade), Pt thin-film resistance elements	Standard platinum resistance thermometers (SPRTs) are the primary ITS-90 interpolating instruments from –259.3467 °C (He boiling point) to +961.78 °C (Ag freezing point), requiring Pt wire with residual resistance ratio (R₂₉₃/R₄) > 1.3925. Industrial PRTs (Pt100, Pt1000) use thin-film or wirewound elements for process temperature measurement to ±0.1–1 °C accuracy.
Surface Science & Catalysis Research	Pt(111), Pt(110), Pt(100) single crystals; Pt foil (99.99%+) as substrate	Pt single-crystal surfaces (particularly Pt(111)) are the most-studied model catalysts in surface science — used for fundamental studies of CO oxidation, NO reduction, O₂ dissociation, and electrochemical ORR by LEED, AES, STM, and operando XPS. Pt surface science underpins the rational design of automotive and fuel cell catalysts.
Thin-Film Deposition & Sputtering	Pt sputtering targets (99.95–99.999%); Pt evaporation pellets/wire	Pt thin films (5–200 nm) are deposited for MEMS temperature sensors and heaters, FeRAM bottom electrodes (Pt/Ti/SiO₂ stack under PZT or BST), SEM specimen coating (fine-grain Pt for high-resolution imaging), and seed layers for Pt electroplating in medical device fabrication.

Industrial & Commercial Applications

Sector	Form / Grade Used	Description
Automotive Catalytic Converters	Pt/Rh washcoat on cordierite monolith (~1–5 g Pt/converter, 99.95%+)	Pt catalyzes CO + ½O₂ → CO₂ and CₓHᵧ oxidation in three-way catalysts (TWCs) alongside Rh (for NOₓ reduction) at 400–900 °C. TWC Pt loading has been reduced from ~3–5 g to ~1–2 g per vehicle over 30 years through nanoparticle dispersion improvements and Pd substitution; Pd has largely replaced Pt in gasoline TWCs, with Pt now more concentrated in diesel oxidation catalysts.
Chemical Industry Catalysts	Pt-Rh gauze (90%Pt-10%Rh, woven from 0.076 mm wire); Pt/Al₂O₃ pellets	Pt-Rh gauze catalyzes NH₃ + O₂ → NO at 800–950 °C in the Ostwald process — the first step in HNO₃ manufacture (~60 million tonnes/year globally); a single gauze pack contains ~30–80 g of Pt-Rh alloy wire. Pt/Al₂O₃ catalysts are used for naphtha reforming (dehydrogenation, isomerization) to produce high-octane gasoline components and aromatic feedstocks.
Medical Devices & Anticancer Drugs	Pt wire/coil for implants (99.9%+, ASTM F640); cisplatin/carboplatin/oxaliplatin (Pt²⁺ compounds)	Platinum coils (Guglielmi detachable coils, GDC) are used for endovascular occlusion of cerebral aneurysms — Pt's radiopacity, biocompatibility, and softness enable safe deployment through microcatheters. Cisplatin and carboplatin are used in ~50% of all cancer chemotherapy regimens; oxaliplatin is first-line therapy for colorectal cancer. Pt electrodes are standard in cochlear implants and deep brain stimulators.
Thermocouples & Temperature Standards	Pt wire (99.99%+) for Type S, R, B thermocouples; Pt-10%Ir for prototype artifacts	Type S (Pt-10%Rh vs. Pt), Type R (Pt-13%Rh vs. Pt), and Type B (Pt-30%Rh vs. Pt-6%Rh) thermocouples are IEC/ASTM standardized primary sensors for 600–1,700 °C in oxidizing atmospheres. Pt-10%Ir alloy was used for the international prototype kilogram (1889–2019) and the international prototype metre bar (1889–1960) — replaced by quantum-defined SI units in 2019 and 1960 respectively.
Glass & Fiberglass Manufacturing	Pt-Rh alloy bushings and crucibles (80–90% Pt, 10–20% Rh)	Pt-Rh alloy bushings (spinnerets with hundreds to thousands of orifices) draw continuous glass filaments at ~1,250 °C for fiberglass insulation and glass fiber reinforcement. The combination of Pt's chemical resistance to molten glass, high melting point, and Rh's strengthening is unmatched by any other material for this application; a single large fiberglass bushing contains 1–3 kg of Pt-Rh alloy.

Purity	Description
99.85% (2N85)	High-quality platinum suitable for general industrial applications and initial research requiring good purity with some trace impurities.
99.9% (3N)	Refined platinum for standard research and industrial use, balancing purity and cost for many catalytic and electrical applications.
99.95% (3N5)	Enhanced purity platinum ideal for sensitive catalytic systems and precise electronic component manufacturing.
99.99% (4N)	High-purity platinum for advanced research, nanoelectronics, and high-performance catalytic applications requiring minimal impurities.
99.995% (4N5)	Specialized grade with extremely low impurity levels for demanding scientific experiments and critical industrial processes.
99.999% (5N)	Exceptionally pure platinum for cutting-edge applications in quantum computing, ultra-high precision electronics, and advanced catalysis requiring near-total impurity elimination.

Synonym / Alternative Name	Context
Pt	Chemical symbol; from the Spanish platina (little silver) — Pt was named by Antonio de Ulloa in 1748, who encountered it in South American alluvial deposits; the name reflects its resemblance to silver. Used as the primary identifier in ICP-MS databases, electrochemical literature, and PGM commodity markets.
Platinum metal	Commercial designation for elemental Pt in wire, foil, gauze, powder, or target form; used in ASTM standards (F640 for medical grade Pt), LPPM good-delivery specifications, and procurement documentation for automotive, chemical, and jewelry industries.
Pt metal	Abbreviated commercial designation used interchangeably with "platinum metal" in materials datasheets, sputtering target catalogs, and catalyst characterization literature where brevity is preferred.
Elemental Platinum	Scientific designation distinguishing the pure element from cisplatin, H₂PtCl₆, and other Pt compounds; used in electrochemistry and surface science literature specifying Pt metal substrates, single crystals, or thin films as distinct from platinum oxide or platinum complex species.
Element 78	Periodic table designation; used in XRF/ICP-MS analytical software, nuclear data libraries (ENDF/B), and environmental monitoring databases for autocatalyst Pt road dust where atomic number is the primary identifier.
Platino	Spanish and Italian language name for platinum; used in scientific literature and industrial documentation in Spanish- and Italian-speaking markets; Spain was the site of first European encounter with Pt in the 16th century (Colombian placer gold sources).
Platine	French language name for platinum; used in French scientific literature, EU regulatory documentation, and Airbus/Safran industrial specifications in French-language technical documentation.
Platin	German language name for platinum; used in German scientific literature, DIN standards, and industrial documentation in German-speaking markets with significant chemical, automotive, and jewelry industries consuming Pt.

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