Palladium is a versatile metal with almost as many uses as gold and silver. The use of palladium crosses many industries, and its uses will continue growing over time.
Industries and Fields That Use Palladium
Palladium in Transportation
The automotive industry relies on as much as 85% of all palladium produced and recycled for use in catalytic converters. Palladium, along with platinum and rhodium, converts harmful exhaust gases from your engine into less toxic gases.
Palladium in Aerospace
Because palladium has a high melting point and is relatively lightweight compared to other platinum group metals, it is useful for aircraft engine parts. The melting point of palladium is 2,828.28 degrees Fahrenheit, or 1554.9 degrees Celsius.
Palladium in Dentistry
Since the late 1970’s palladium has been used in alloys for manufacturing crowns and bridges. Palladium has also been instrumental in dental amalgams to strengthen and preserve the luster of restoration work.
Palladium in Medicine
Medical research is being conducted about using a radioactive isotope, palladium-103, to battle prostate and breast cancer. Because palladium is inert and non-antagonistic to our bodies, it is a stellar candidate for applications like ultra-thin wiring surgeons use for stints, catheters, and other bodily implants.
Palladium in Fuel Cells
Fuel cells use palladium to produce electricity. Hydrogen and oxygen react to palladium, which is vital to create the energy required for fuel cell operation.
Palladium in Jewelry
Many people may choose palladium over silver or white gold for their jewelry because of its brilliance and shine. Palladium was first used to make jewelry in the late 1930s when metals like platinum were conserved for military use in World War II.
Jewelry made from palladium has a beautiful silver-white color that is slightly darker, and 10% stronger than platinum, which equates to scratch resistance.
While this precious metal can still pick up scratches, it will retain its shine, especially if the palladium jewelry is cared for. In addition to being hypoallergenic, jewelry made from palladium does not tend to tarnish when exposed to oxygen.
Palladium in Electronics
Palladium is useful in electronics because the motion of its electrons provides conductive properties, although it is slightly less electrically conductive than gold.
One of the primary electrical applications of palladium is as a substitute for gold electronic connectors. Palladium-based materials are slowly replacing gold in electronics thanks to a price slightly lower than gold.
Alloys like palladium-silver and palladium-nickel have been used since the 1950s in telecommunications for light-duty open relay contacts. Since 1975, the slightly lower cost of palladium has led to research in areas of contact technology.
Palladium in Groundwater Treatment
A process called palladium-catalyzed reductive dichlorination uses the metal to transform chlorinated ethenes, or chlorinated solvents found in American wells, to less chlorinated analogues.
This process uses the reaction of hydrogen to palladium, which produces atomic hydrogen. The atomic hydrogen in turn, reacts to the chlorinated ethenes and replaces the chlorine atoms with hydrogen.
Palladium was discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston. Wollaston was a chemist in England studying platinum ore samples from Southern America.
The metal was named for the asteroid Pallas, which itself was named for the Greek goddess of wisdom, Pallas. Pallas, the asteroid, was discovered right before palladium in 1802 by a German astronomer named Wilhelm Olbers.
