Platinum as a Metallic Material
Manufacturing and Processing Techniques
Dissolution
The precursor materials for metallic platinum are primary precious metal concentrates or secondary sources for metallic platinum, such as the recycling of used catalysts. Before separating the individual precious metals, the input material is dissolved under oxidizing conditions in hydrochloric acid. The platinum can then be purified by selective process steps such as reprecipitation and ion exchange. The pure platinum is won as a platinum sponge by a reduction treatment of the aqueous solution or is precipitated electrolytically.
Casting
The platinum sponge is consolidated to an ingot by melting and casting. In this process, alloying elements and process recycle materials can be incorporated.
Further processing
Semifinished products are manufactured from the ingots by conventional metal working techniques, e.g. forging, rolling, wire drawing and tube drawing, and are then fabricated to the finished products by machining, forming and welding techniques.
