page_title: Platinum
section_title: Occurrence
hierarchical_section_title: Platinum / Characteristics / Occurrence
caption_attribution_description: Česky: Platinový nuget (rozměry cca 35 × 23 × 14 mm, hmotnost cca 112g, naleziště důl Konďor, Konďorské hory, Chabarovský kraj, Ruská federace). Deutsch: Platin Nugget, gediegen, Fundort: Konder Mine Region Chabarowsk,Russland. Größe ca. 35&#160;×&#160;23&#160;×&#160;14&#160;mm, Gewicht ca. 112g. Sammlung: M.R. Ελληνικά: εγγενές ψήγμα λευκόχρυσου, περιοχή ορυχείου Konder, Κράι Χαμπάροβσκ, Ρωσία. Μέγεθος περίπου 35 Γ&#160;? 23 Γ&#160;? 14 χιλ., βάρος περίπου 112 ραμμάρια = 3,6 ουγγιές. Συλλογή: M.R. English: native Platinum nugget, locality Kondyor mine, Khabarovsk Krai, Russia. Size ca. 35&#160;×&#160;23&#160;×&#160;14&#160;mm, weight ca. 112g = 3.6 oz. Collection: M.R. Français&#160;: Pépite de Platine natif, provenant de la mine Konder, Kraï de Khabarovsk (Russie). Taille&#160;: 35&#160;×&#160;23&#160;×&#160;14&#160;mm, masse&#160;: 112g. Italiano: Una pepita di platino nativo (ca. 35 × 23 × 14 mm; peso ca. 112 g) estratta in una miniera del massiccio di Kondër nel Kraj di Chabarovsk, in Russia. Collezione: M.R. Polski: Samorodek platyny z kopalni w masywie Kondjor (Kraj Chabarowski, Rosja). Wymiary ok. 35 × 23 × 14 mm, masa ok 112 g. Kolekcja M. R.
context_page_description: Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platino, meaning "little silver".
  Platinum is a member of the platinum group of elements and group 10 of the periodic table of elements. It has six naturally occurring isotopes. It is one of the rarer elements in Earth's crust, with an average abundance of approximately 5 μg/kg. It occurs in some nickel and copper ores along with some native deposits, mostly in South Africa, which accounts for 80% of the world production. Because of its scarcity in Earth's crust, only a few hundred tonnes are produced annually, and given its important uses, it is highly valuable and is a major precious metal commodity.
  Platinum is one of the least reactive metals. It has remarkable resistance to corrosion, even at high temperatures, and is therefore considered a noble metal. Consequently, platinum is often found chemically uncombined as native platinum.
context_section_description: Platinum is an extremely rare metal, occurring at a concentration of only 0.005 ppm in Earth's crust. It is sometimes mistaken for silver. Platinum is often found chemically uncombined as native platinum and as alloy with the other platinum-group metals and iron mostly. Most often the native platinum is found in secondary deposits in alluvial deposits. The alluvial deposits used by pre-Columbian people in the Chocó Department, Colombia are still a source for platinum-group metals. Another large alluvial deposit is in the Ural Mountains, Russia, and it is still mined.
  In nickel and copper deposits, platinum-group metals occur as sulfides (e.g. (Pt,Pd)S), tellurides (e.g. PtBiTe), antimonides (PdSb), and arsenides (e.g. PtAs₂), and as end alloys with nickel or copper. Platinum arsenide, sperrylite (PtAs₂), is a major source of platinum associated with nickel ores in the Sudbury Basin deposit in Ontario, Canada. At Platinum, Alaska, about 17,000 kg (550,000 ozt) was mined between 1927 and 1975. The mine ceased operations in 1990. The rare sulfide mineral cooperite, (Pt,Pd,Ni)S, contains platinum along with palladium and nickel. Cooperite occurs in the Merensky Reef within the Bushveld complex, Gauteng, South Africa.
  In 1865, chromites were identified in the Bushveld region of South Africa, followed by the discovery of platinum in 1906. In 1924, the geologist Hans Merensky discovered a large supply of platinum in the Bushveld Igneous Complex in South Africa. The specific layer he found, named the Merensky Reef, contains around 75% of the world's known platinum. The large copper–nickel deposits near Norilsk in Russia, and the Sudbury Basin, Canada, are the two other large deposits. In the Sudbury Basin, the huge quantities of nickel ore processed make up for the fact platinum is present as only 0.5 ppm in the ore. Smaller reserves can be found in the United States, for example in the Absaroka Range in Montana. In 2010, South Africa was the top producer of platinum, with an almost 77% share, followed by Russia at 13%; world production in 2010 was 192,000 kg (423,000 lb).
  Large platinum deposits are present in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.
  Platinum exists in higher abundances on the Moon and in meteorites. Correspondingly, platinum is found in slightly higher abundances at sites of bolide impact on Earth that are associated with resulting post-impact volcanism, and can be mined economically; the Sudbury Basin is one such example.
caption: A native platinum nugget, Kondyor mine, Khabarovsk Krai
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