The average grain size of a typical bulk metal is about 10 μm at the smallest. In this new technology, the average crystal grain size can be controlled in the nano scale. As a result, the developed pure platinum, with 99.9% or higher purity, has 10 times the hardness and 4 times the strength of typical platinum materials.

The Silver Institute and Metals Focus says global silver demand in 2024 will largely grow due to gains from green economy applications, especially the PV sector. It expects the global silver market to show a physical deficit of around 182 million ounces in 2024, marking the fourth consecutive year of shortfall.

A research team of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) has successfully developed a high-efficiency water electrolysis catalyst that significantly reduces the amount of iridium used to one-twentieth of that in commercial catalysts. This innovation addresses a major hurdle in the global scale-up of water electrolysis facilities, where the high price of iridium catalysts has been a ...

~40%! That’s the kind of returns Silver has delivered this year. Silver’s demand has outstripped its supply for the past 4 consecutive years. Its industrial applications continue to rise across the industries of tomorrow. As such, the rise in prices is driven by more than just a need to diversify - but fundamental reasons that can support prices. It's therefore no surprise, that market experts ...

Gold pared gains after reaching a fresh record high amid tensions in the Middle East and the approaching US presidential election.
Silver advanced as much as 1.7% on Monday to the highest since 2012 before surrendering those gains.

A potential supply crunch is creating new momentum in palladium as prices push above $1,150 an ounce, up more than 9% on the day.
According to reports, palladium’s fortunes have turned after the U.S. government asked its Group of Seven allies to consider placing sanctions on Russia’s supply of the precious metal, along with titanium.
Russia is one of the top producers of palladium and titanium ...

The platinum market is facing its largest supply deficit in over a decade, driven by declining mining output, recycling challenges, and robust industrial demand, according to the latest report from the World Platinum Investment Council (WPIC). Despite this massive gap, prices have not reacted as many would expect, leaving investors questioning the factors behind this disconnect. At the time of ...

China, already a dominant player in the automotive industry, is projected to surpass Western Europe as the largest market for heavy-duty autocatalyst platinum this year. Diesel engines, commonly used in heavy-duty applications like trucks and buses, require more platinum-intensive emissions treatment systems compared to gasoline-powered light vehicles. As a result, the Chinese market is expected ...

But a tapering in growth of EV sales, and a surge in demand for hybrid cars that need catalytic converters to curb pollution, have given PGMs a new lease of life that could put a floor under prices and keep some mines open for longer.

The Senate is currently considering amendments to the proposed "Preventing Auto Recycling Theft Act" (PART Act), which could restrict the recycling of platinum, palladium, and rhodium—three critical precious metals used in catalytic converters to reduce harmful emissions from gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles.

On September 5, 2024, the International Precious Metals Institute (IPMI) and the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA), leading trade organizations in the precious metals recycling sector, formally expressed their opposition to Senate Amendment 2422, part of the proposed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025. In a letter addressed to key members of the Senate, including ...

“It’s a confluence of things but the market is very illiquid so our production cut at Stillwater is significant,” said James Wellsted, head of corporate affairs at Sibanye-Stillwater.
“There’s an element of Stillwater in this,” said Arnold van Graan, an analyst at Nedbank Securities. “We said previously that to be bullish on the palladium market you would need catalysts including selling more ...

Aschaffenburg, September 6th, 2024 – Hensel Recycling GmbH, an expert in the recycling of end-of-life PGM materials and Mastermelt Ltd, a leader in the refining of complex PGM materials are pleased to announce a strategic collaboration aimed at advancing the recycling and processing of PGM-based fuel cell and electrolyser materials in Europe.

“It is highly improbable we will see new investment in new prospects especially if they don’t have processing capacity. New projects are highly improbable,” he said.
Dunne said a base seemed to have formed at around R33,000 per ounce for the metals the firm produced. While now stable, he said his price level would have “significant consequences for the world’s PGM industry.” He leavened his ...

S. Africa’s platinum mining industry has entered a phase of irreversible decline as producers struggle with low prices and demand suffers from the rise of BEVs, Northam Platinum CEO Paul Dunne said on Friday.

So far this year, gold has surged by about 22%, surpassing $2,500 an ounce, driven by geopolitical uncertainty and expectations of a potential Federal Reserve interest rate cut. In comparison, the S&P 500 has risen by around 18.5% during the same period. Over the past year, the difference is even more noticeable, with the S&P 500 gaining nearly 31% and gold close to 27%.

PGMs are currently mainly used in the catalytic converters of internal combustion engine vehicles, which consume over 70% of supply. The group comprises six white-silver coloured metals including platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium and osmium.

The price of a bar of gold is worth a million dollars for the first time, thanks to soaring prices for the precious metal. The price of spot gold reached more than $2,500 per troy ounce Friday, hitting a record high. The average gold bar weighs 400 troy ounces – which, when you do the math, hits a million dollars.

Sublime Systems employed an electrochemical process to break down calcium silicate rocks at ambient temperature. Abundant raw materials were used to create reactive calcium and silicates that were dried and blended into cement. This system exhibited the same final strength and hardened phases as Portland cement.

This slump was largely driven by profit-taking and holders of gold liquidating their positions to cover losses elsewhere in the market. Still, expectations of a U.S. interest-rate cut in September continue to support gold fundamentally, ING analysts said in a note.