What Was The Palladium:
Palladium is a chemical element with symbol Pd and atomic number 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston. He named it after the asteroid Pallas, which was itself named after the epithet of the Greek goddess Athena, acquired by her when she slew Pallas. Palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium form a group of elements referred to as the platinum group metals (PGMs). These have similar chemical properties, but palladium has the lowest melting point among them.
Although naturally occurring palladium is found as only one isotope , {Pd}{≈ 78%} , stable Pd is composed of four stable isotopes . This is unusual, because elements adjacent to the palladium group usually have only three stable isotopes (e.g., copper has one stable isotope, {Cu}{≈ 100%}). The reason for palladium’s quadruple stability is that its nuclear shell configuration decays via beta decay with a half-life more than a billion times longer (at around 2.3×10 years) than those of all common naturally occurring nuclides. As such, although 34Pd accounts for only 0.01% of natural Pd by mass, it decays so slowly that it can be easily extracted from old petroleum deposits or even purposefully synthesized in the laboratory. This isotope is the most common nuclear fission product.
Palladium is used in catalytic converters, laboratory equipment, electrical contacts and plating. Palladium-pure palladium contains up to 30% Pd by mass as a hard but brittle metal that is difficult to work. However, when alloyed with platinum and other PGMs, it can be formed into dense sheets for turnings and gaskets or tough thin films for electronic components, such as resistors . These alloys are used in automotive emissions control systems. Palladium-gold alloy is a less expensive alternative for gold in jewelry , suppressing gold price much more than would have been expected from the small difference in the of gold and palladium.
Chemically, palladium is similar to platinum. It forms most of the platination compounds with elements such as sulfur and air. Palladium dissolves in concentrated nitric acid , hot phosphoric acid , aqua regia , fused potassium nitrate, potassium chlorate and ammonium chloride .
What is palladium used for:
There are many industrial uses for palladium. It is used in the production of automotive catalytic converters, electrical contacts, dentistry equipment, and pacemakers. Palladium is also used to make jewelry, because it does not corrode in contact with skin. Palladium can also be found in some coins.
Palladium has a number of valuable properties that make it useful in a variety of industries. It is very durable and does not corrode in contact with other elements, which makes it suitable for use in jewelry and coins. Palladium is also non-toxic, which makes it safe for use in medical devices and dental equipment. Lastly, palladium has a very low reactivity to other elements, making it very useful in spacecraft.
Who stole the palladium:
In June of 2018, thieves stole a large amount of palladium from a warehouse in Switzerland. The thieves took advantage of a security flaw to gain access to the warehouse and steal the palladium. It is still not known who stole the palladium or where it is now.
The theft of the palladium has caused a lot of concern among investors and manufacturers. Palladium is a very rare commodity and its theft could have a serious impact on the market. It is still not known who stole the palladium or where it is now, but authorities are working hard to find out and recover the stolen metal.
What happened to the palladium:
The Palladium we know today was named by William Hyde Wollaston after asteroid Pallas, which had been discovered only eight years earlier. Wollaston was English chemist and physicist who also investigated the metals platinum and rhodium.
The Palladium we know today was named by William Hyde Wollaston after asteroid Pallas, which had been discovered only eight years earlier. Wollaston was English chemist and physicist who also investigated the metals platinum and rhodium.
Is palladium radioactive:
Palladium is a very dense metal, which means that it can be used to shield against radiation. Because it does not corrode in contact with skin, palladium is also useful for making medical devices and dental equipment.
People who have had a pacemaker implanted should ask their doctor whether the palladium used in the device could cause problems. Some people are allergic to metals like palladium and mercury, which may cause serious reactions if they come into direct contact with the skin.