It acts here as a catalyst, converting the alcohol to formaldehyde. This phenomenon has been used commercially to produce cigarette lighters and hand warmers. It was nearly eight times as valuable as gold in 1920. Use Manufacturing apparatus for laboratory and industrial use, thermocouples, platinum resistance thermometers, acidproof containers, electrodes, etc. Spinnarets for rayon and glass fiber manufacture, permanent magnets.
Platinum metal is used as support for fractured bones.
Abundance in earth's crust about 0.01 ppm. Platinum occurs in native form and in a number of mineral forms, including sperrylite, cooperite, and braggite. Platinum is sometimes found with palladium as the arsenide and selenide. Emissions from catalytic mufflers containing platinum.