Palladium plating has often been used as an alternative to gold plating. Its chemical symbol is Pd. As a member of the group that includes platinum, it is a relatively rare and noble metal. It is characterized by its silvery-blue and semi-bright appearance as well as its low melting point, low density, resistance to oxidation and high conductivity. In the past, it has been used for decorative purposes. Today, it is used in both practical and decorative applications.
A Brief History of Palladium and Palladium Plating
Palladium was first discovered by William Hyde Wollaston (1766-1802) in 1802. He initially named it “caesium,” but soon afterwards renamed it Palladium after the Greek Goddess of Wisdom, Pallas Athena. Rather than declare his discovery to the world, or at least to other scientists, Wollaston kept mum. He posted the properties of the metal and sold it in his small Soho shop in London a year later. Here, he continued to sell the product until shortly before he died.
Although Wollaston continued to refine the process he could never find sufficient markets to make palladium a commercial success. He was more successful with platinum. However, it was not until after his death that Alfred Smee (1818-1877) in 1840 published a book on electroplating which included methods for palladium plating. This was followed by the discovery of the actual properties of palladium by Thomas Graham (1805-1869), a London chemist, in 1854. He discovered that palladium could absorb more than six hundred times its volume of hydrogen.
The situation remained much the same concerning palladium and its uses until the early 20th century when the discovery of massive amounts of palladium in South Africa increased the availability of this metal. Until then it had been found only in the Ural Mountains, Russia. By 1939, it was used increasingly in the making of jewelry. This eventually led to improvements in processing and usage, including palladium plating. After the 1970s, the desire for a reduction in pollution resulted in the increased reliance on such unique metals as palladium and its usage increased substantially.
Palladium, Palladium Plating and Today’s Applications
The demand for palladium and the employment of palladium plating has increased tremendously over the past few decades. It is a staple for modern catalytic converters. This makes it in high demand in the automotive industry. Palladium is also used in:
* Electrical switches
* Electrical contacts
Capacitors
It has been embraced for usage by those in the fields of medical dentistry, chemical production and groundwater treatment. Platinum plating is also still a part of the decorative arts including the creation of fine jewelry.
Palladium Plating
The popularity of palladium continues to grow in the present century. Industries are increasingly finding uses for this unique metal. As technology continues to increase, palladium plating is certain to find more commercial and industrial applications.
Since 1972, the technicians, engineers and other employees at PEP General Metal Finishing have been electroplating precious metals. Our quality services include gold, silver, platinum and Palladium Plating. Our standards are precise and conform to the specifications required by the standards meet and even exceed those established by the ASTM and the military. To discover more about our company and how we can help you get your work done just right, visit http://www.pepgenmetal.com/.
