What are precious metals?
Precious metals have particularly high corrosion resistance, in addition to all the typical properties of metal like electrical conductivity, malleability, metallic sheen and thermal conductivity. They do not react with oxygen, either at normal or high temperatures, and therefore do not corrode. The best-known precious metals are gold, silver, platinum, platinum group metals, palladium and rhodium.
Where are precious metals used?
Precious metals are an indispensable part of modern daily life. Previously, precious metals were used predominantly in the production of jewellery and coins. Their excellent electrical conductivity now makes them of interest in industry, particularly for electrical engineering.
- Electronics, electrical engineering
- Automotive industry
- Chemical industry
- Glass industry
- Pharmaceutical industry
- Jewellery industry
Recycling precious metals
The recycling of precious metals is particularly important nowadays, as industrial demand is increasing. Precious metals are usually combined with other materials, metals or alloys. A highly complex recycling process is required to extract them from these blended materials. A complex melting process enables the precious metals to be separated out in extremely pure form. The cutting-edge technology used in this recycling process means that almost nothing is wasted.
