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Platinum
Top Exporters
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Platinum Ore
- **South Africa** – $16.7 billion in exports.
- **United States** – $10 billion.
- **United Kingdom** – $9.5 billion.
- **Russia** – $7.2 billion.
- **Germany** – $7 billion.
- Belgium**
- **Italy**
- Hong Kong
- **Japan**
- **Switzerland**
Known Methods of Extraction
Perfect 👍 — next in **periodic table order** is **Platinum (Pt, atomic number 78).** Platinum is a **transition metal** that occurs primarily in **platinum group metal (PGM) ores**, including **platinoid nuggets**, **nickel-copper sulfide ores**, and **alluvial deposits**. Industrial extraction involves **concentration, chemical separation, and reduction**. Here are the **20 most common methods of extracting Platinum**: --- # **20 Most Common Methods of Extracting Platinum** ### **A. Extraction from Ores** 1. **Mining of Platinum Group Metal Ores** – Primary source of platinum. 2. **Crushing and Grinding of Ore** – Prepares material for chemical processing. 3. **Gravity and Magnetic Separation** – Enriches platinum-containing minerals. 4. **Froth Flotation** – Concentrates platinum group metals (Pt, Pd, Rh, Ir, Os, Ru). 5. **Smelting to Remove Base Metals (Ni, Cu, Fe)** – Platinum remains in noble metal fraction. 6. **Acid Digestion (Aqua Regia or HCl/HNO₃ mixtures)** – Dissolves platinum for purification. --- ### **B. Chemical Separation of Platinum** 7. **Precipitation of Platinum Chlorides (PtCl₄, PtCl₆)** – Separates Pt from other PGMs. 8. **Formation of Ammonium Hexachloroplatinate ((NH₄)₂\[PtCl₆])** – Key intermediate for purification. 9. **Ion Exchange Chromatography** – Laboratory or industrial scale purification. 10. **Solvent Extraction of Platinum Complexes** – Separates Pt from Pd, Rh, Ir, Os, Ru. 11. **Selective Precipitation of Platinum Compounds** – Produces intermediates for reduction. 12. **Electrolytic Refining of Platinum Salts** – Produces high-purity platinum metal. --- ### **C. Conversion to Platinum Compounds** 13. **Calcination of Platinum Salts** – Removes residual impurities. 14. **Preparation of Platinum Oxides (PtO, PtO₂)** – For industrial and catalytic applications. 15. **Preparation of Platinum Alloys** – Mixed with Pd, Rh, Ir, or Ni for industrial use. 16. **Volatilization and Condensation of Platinum Compounds** – Laboratory-scale purification technique. --- ### **D. Recovery and Secondary Sources** 17. **Recovery from Platinum Refinery Residues** – Flue dusts and sludges treated for platinum. 18. **Recovery from Scrap Catalysts (Automotive, Industrial)** – Hydrometallurgical or pyrometallurgical extraction. 19. **Recovery from Nickel-Copper Smelting Slags** – Leaching and selective precipitation. 20. **Laboratory-Scale Extraction from Secondary Sources** – Analytical isolation and purification of platinum. --- ✅ **Summary:** * **Main industrial sources:** PGM ores, nickel-copper sulfide ores, alluvial deposits. * **Primary extraction steps:** Ore concentration → smelting → acid digestion → formation of platinum chlorides → reduction or electrolysis → metallic platinum. * **Metallic platinum:** Produced via reduction of Pt salts or electrolytic refining. * **Byproduct/secondary sources:** Refinery residues, scrap catalysts, smelting slags. * **Laboratory/experimental:** Ion exchange, solvent extraction, selective precipitation, calcination, and reduction cycles. --- Next in periodic order is \*\*Gold (Au, atomic number 79). Do you want me to continue with **20 extraction methods for Gold**?