10mm platinum Cubic Periodic Table Cube 99.95% Pure platinum Cubic Metal Gift Rare Metal platinum Element Block

Platinum is a lustrous silvery-white, malleable, ductile metal and a member of group 10 of the periodic table of the elements. It has the third highest density, behind osmium and iridium . Platinum is unaffected by air and water , but will dissolve in hot aqua regia, in hot concentrated phosphoric and sulphuric acids, and in molten alkali. It is as resistant as gold to corrosion and tarnishing. Indeed, platinum will not oxidize in air no matter how strongly it is heated.

Platinum was known to native South Americans before the arrival of Columbus and was introduced into Europe around 1750. Platinum is a member of the platinum group metals and is lustrous, malleable and ductile; it has an abundance of approximately 0.001 ppm in the earth's crust. Of the group of six metals (Pt, Pd, Os, Ir, Rh and Ru), it is the most important. It is unaffected by oxygen and water and is only soluble in aqua regia or fused alkalis. Applications for platinum are many and varied; for example, it is used to make weights and measures standards, it is used in the electronics industry for electrical contacts which might be subject to high temperatures, and it is used to manufacture electrodes which might be subject to chemical attack. A current and important use of platinum is in car exhaust catalysts, in which a ceramic honeycomb is coated with platinum. Platinum is also used to manufacture jewellery and, along with gold and silver, has its own hallmark.