Platinum information, including Technical Data, Safety Data and its properties, research, applications and other useful facts are discussed below. Scientific facts such as the atomic structure, ionization energy, abundance on Earth, conductivity and thermal properties are included.
Platinum is a member of the platinum group of metals. It is highly corrosion resistant and has numerous catalytic applications. These include in petrochemical cracking catalysts, automotive catalytic converters and in the processes used for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. The metal does not oxidize in air at any temperature. The metal is extensively used in jewelry, electronic wire, and crucibles for corrosive and high temperature laboratory uses and in many advanced instruments. Platinum compounds have application in medicine. Platinum is available as metal and compounds with purities from 99% to 99.999% (ACS grade to ultra-high purity); metals in the form of foil, sputtering target, and rod, and compounds as submicron and nanopowder. Platinum facts, including appearance, CAS #, and molecular formula and safety data, research and properties are
Oxides are available in forms including powders and dense pellets for such uses as optical coating and thin film applications. Oxides tend to be insoluble. Fluorides are another insoluble form for uses in which oxygen is undesirable such as metallurgy, chemical and physical vapor deposition and in some optical coatings. Platinum is available in soluble forms including chlorides, nitrates and acetates. These compounds are also manufactured as solutions at specified stoichiometries. Platinum is a Block D, Group 10, Period 6 element. The electronic configuration is Xe] 4f14 5d9 6s1. In its elemental form platinum's CAS number is 7439-88-5. The platinum atom has a radius of 137.3.pm and it's Van der Waals radius is 172.pm.All elemental metals, compounds and solutions may be synthesized in ultra high purity (e.g. 99.999%) for laboratory standards, advanced electronic, metallurgy and optical materials and other high technology advantages. Information is provided for stable (non-radioactive) isotopes. Organo-Metallic platinum compounds are soluble in organic or non-aqueous solvents. See Analytical Services for information on available certified chemical and physical analysis techniques including MS-ICP, X-Ray Diffraction, PSD and Surface Area (BET) analysis. Platinum was first discovered by Julius Scaliger in 1735.
Abundance. The following table shows the abundance of platinum and each of its naturally occurring isotopes on Earth along with the atomic mass for each isotope. |
Platine 
Platin 
Platino 
Platina
Platino
PlatinaIsotope |
Atomic Mass |
% Abundance on Earth |
Pt-190 |
189.959930 |
0.01 |
Pt-192 |
191.961035 |
0.79 |
Pt-194 |
193.962664 |
32.9 |
Pt-195 |
194.964774 |
33.8 |
Pt-196 |
195.964935 |
25.3 |
Pt-198 |
197.967876 |
7.2 |
Safety Data. The safety data for platinum metal, nanoparticles and its compounds can vary widely depending on the form. For potential hazard information, toxicity, and road, sea and air transportation limitations, such as DOT Hazard Class, DOT Number, EU Number, NFPA Health rating and RTECS Class, please see the specific material or compound referenced in the left margin.
Ionization Energy. The ionization energy for platinum (the least required energy to release a single electron from the atom in it's ground state in the gas phase) is stated in the following table: |
1st Ionization Energy |
864.39 kJ mol-1 |
2nd Ionization Energy |
1791.07 kJ mol-1 |
3rd Ionization Energy |
- kJ mol-1 |
Conductivity. As to platinum's electrical and thermal conductivity, the electrical conductivity measured as to electrical resistivity @ 20 ºC is 10.6 μΩcm and its electronegativities (or its ability to draw electrons relative to other elements) is 2.2. The thermal conductivity of platinum is 71.6 W m-1 K-1.
Thermal Properties. The melting point and boiling point for platinum are stated below. The following chart sets forth the heat of fusion, heat of vaporization and heat of atomization. |
Heat of Fusion |
19.7 kJ mol-1 |
Heat of Vaporization |
469 kJ mol-1 |
Heat of Atomization |
564.42 kJ mol-1 |
| Formula | Atomic Number | Molecular Weight | Electronegativity (Pauling) | Density | Melting Point | Boiling Point |
Vanderwaals radius |
Ionic radius | Energy of first ionization |
| Pt | 78 | 195.09 g.mol -1 | 2.2 | 21.4 g.cm-3 at 20 °C | 1772 °C | 3800 °C | 172.pm | 0.096 nm (+2) | 864.39 kJ.mol-1 |
| PRODUCT CATALOG | UK Operations | Submicron & Nanopowder | Tolling | Ultra High Purity | Sputtering Target | Crystal Growth | Rod, Plate, Powder, etc. | Foil |
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