Importance of South Africa to platinum production and use covered in new Virtual Issue

South Africa?s importance to the global platinum industry is highlighted in a new collection of articles covering the contributions the country has made to the extraction of platinum group metals (pgms) and their end-use applications.

The new Virtual Issue, entitled ?South Africa: PGM Extraction to Applications?, covers almost 50 years of pgm research by South African authors and institutions published in Platinum Metals Review, the quarterly journal of research on the science and technology of the pgms.

Currently, around three quarters of the world?s platinum supply comes from the Bushveld Complex in South Africa ? output from this geological region is expected to meet world platinum demand for many decades to come.

Articles on pgm extraction make up the first part of the South Africa Virtual Issue, including the discovery of the Bushveld, its importance in terms of reserves and resources and the extraction and refining of platinum metals (?beneficiation?).

Work on pgm applications in South Africa, notably catalysis and alloys, is covered in the second part of the Virtual Issue.

Supported by the Hydrogen South Africa (HySA) initiative, development of pgm catalysts for fuel cells is a significant area of South African pgm research ? the Virtual Issue contains recent coverage of research on dispersed platinum catalysts and platinum nanowires.

A number of papers by researchers based in South Africa on the development of platinum jewellery alloys and platinum alloys for shape memory applications, among other things, are also contained in the Virtual Issue.

Commenting on the South Africa Virtual Issue, Andrew Hinkly, Executive Head: Commercial at Anglo American Platinum, the world?s largest platinum miner, said:

?Anglo American Platinum supports capacity building initiatives that promote value adding to pgms mined in South Africa.?

Emphasising the importance of ongoing research and development to South Africa, Mr. Hinkly also said:

?In order for the beneficiation strategy to be successful in South Africa, one of the building blocks required is developing local competence and capability in researching and developing new applications and uses for pgms.?

The Virtual Issue is available to download free of charge from: http://www.platinummetalsreview.com/virtual-issues-2/#VI6

Source: http://www.platinum.matthey.com//media-room/news-room/importance-of-south-africa-to-platinum-production-and-use-covered-in-new-virtual-issue/

iPhone 5 9-11 Chris Brown Tattoo Innocence of Muslims Clara Schumann Jael Strauss Alison Pill