PGMs or PGEs

(Wikipedia)

Platinum Group Metals or Platinum Group Elements

The platinum group metals (PGMs) or, alternatively, the platinoids, platidises, platinum group, platinum metals, platinum family or platinum group elements (PGEs) is a term used sometimes to collectively refer to six metallic elements clustered together in the periodic table. These elements are all transition metals, lying in the d-block (groups 8, 9, and 10, periods 5 and 6). The six platinum group metals are ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, and platinum. They have similar physical and chemical properties, and tend to occur together in the same mineral deposits. However they can be further subdivided into the Iridium-group Platinum Group Elements (IPGEs: Os, Ir, Ru) and the Palladium-group Platinum Group Elements (PPGEs: Rh, Pt, Pd) based on their behaviour in geological systems.

Properties The platinum metals have outstanding catalytic properties. They are highly resistant to wear and tarnish, making platinum, in particular, well suited for fine jewelry. Other distinctive properties include resistance to chemical attack, excellent high-temperature characteristics, and stable electrical properties. All these properties have been exploited for industrial applications. Production The production of pure platinum group metals normally starts from residues of the production of other metals with a mixture of several of those metals. One typical starting product is the anode residue of gold (other fast refining methods used today), copper or nickel production. The differences in chemical reactivity and solubility of several compounds of the metals under extraction are used to separate them. A first step is to dissolve all the metals in aqua regia forming their respective Cl-complexes. If silver is present, this is then separated by forming insoluble silver chloride. Rhodium sulfate is separated after the salts have been melted together with sodium bisulfate and leached with water. The residue is then melted together with sodium peroxide, which dissolves all the metals and leaves the iridium. The two remaining metals, ruthenium and osmium, form ruthenium and osmium tetroxides after chlorine has been added to solution. The osmium tetroxide is then dissolved in alcoholic sodium hydroxide and separated from the ruthenium tetroxides. All of these metals' final chemical compounds can ultimately be reduced to the elemental metal using hydrogen.

Platinum Group Metals (PGMs)

(metals.about.com)
The platinum group metals (PGMs) are six transitional metal elements that are chemically, physically and anatomically similar. PGMs include: Iridium (Ir) Osmium (Os) Palladium (Pd) Platinum (Pt) Rhodium (Rh) Ruthenium (Ru) Characteristics: The PGMs are the densest known metal elements. Exceptionally rare, the six metals naturally occur in the same ore bodies. They are highly durable and, due to their high value, often recycled, giving them long life cycles. Platinum and palladium are soft and ductile. They resist oxidation and high temperature corrosion and are often used as catalysts. Catalysts speed up chemical reactions without themselves being chemically altered in the process. Rhodium and iridium are harder and more difficult to work with, however, chemical compounds of these two metals are valued in a number of alloy applications. Rhodium is valued as a catalyst material. Ruthenium and osmium are hard, brittle and have poor resistance to oxidation, but are valuable alloy additives and catalysts. Applications: PGMs are most often used as catalysts because of their chemical stability, but they are not limited to this role. According to the International Platinum Group Metals Association (IPA), one quarter of all goods manufactured either contain a PGM or had a PGM play a key role in its production. Some examples of end-use applications include: in catalysts for the petroleum industry (palladium and platinum), in pacemakers and other medical implants (iridium and platinum), as a stain for fingerprints and DNA (osmium), in the production of nitric acid (rhodium), and in chemicals, such as cleaning liquids, adhesives and paints (ruthenium).