Palladium is an extremely rare metal, and is part of the Platinum Metals Group (PGM). It is doubtful that early civilizations were aware of the difference between palladium and platinum. Ancient Egyptians used platinum to adorn their trinkets, most likely having mistaken the metal for silver.
Palladium and platinum are often found together in nature and have similar chemical and physical properties. Palladium is also found in deposits of copper, nickel and gold. Also referred to as “noble metals”, members of the PGM such as palladium are so called because of their remarkable ability to withstand corrosion and oxidation.
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The earliest extensive use of platinum (and to a lesser extent palladium) rests with the ancient inhabitants of what is now Ecuador. Between the first and fourth centuries A.D., the Esmereldas people crafted intricate jewelry from platinum. After the Spanish conquered that region of the Americas, they discovered the inhabitants had been making fantastic jewellery and samples were sent to Europe. They referred to it as “platina”, a derogatory form of silver, and it would be some time before any useful application was found.
Palladium remained indistinguishable from platinum until 1803, and in fact, could not have been identified earlier. The intense and complex techniques required to separate palladium did not exist prior to the early 19th century. Using these new methods, a British chemist named William Hyde Hollaston identified palladium as an independent element (Pd 46 on the periodic table). He named it after a recently discovered asteroid named “Pallas”.
Palladium mining is sporadic at best as deposits are exceedingly rare, which made early experimentation and commercialization difficult. Up until the 20th century, the majority of it came from deposits in the Ural Mountains in Russia. In 1924, extensive deposits were discovered in South Africa.
The process necessary to extract the metal from platinum and other metals was essentially the same as Hollaston had used over 100 years prior. In 1930, a company in Canada called the International Nickel Company of Canada began to process palladium in large quantities, triggered a worldwide metallurgic frenzy. A year later, Heraeus, a German company, created alloys made from palladium and gold or silver. The main applications were in the field of dentistry, where they are still in use today.
Metals of the PGM, most notably palladium, have remarkable properties. Since it does not tarnish in air and resists high temperatures, it has many uses across a variety of industries.
With the capacity to absorb up to 900 times it’s own volume in hydrogen when at room temperature. It can diffuse the gas through itself, thereby purifying the gas. Depending on the metallurgic method used, palladium can become soft and malleable or extremely hard and strong. It is most often found in catalytic converters in modern automobiles, where it cleans the exhaust gases and makes them less harmful. Palladium is also used heavily in electronic circuitry due to its excellent conduction properties.