{"id":3560,"date":"2015-02-10T08:00:14","date_gmt":"2015-02-10T13:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/?p=3560"},"modified":"2026-01-27T20:56:34","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T20:56:34","slug":"could-platinum-group-metals-save-your-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/could-platinum-group-metals-save-your-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Could Platinum Group Metals Save Your Life?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Editor&#8217;s Note: \u00a0This post is Part 5 of a series that examines the wide range of industrial, medical, and electronic applications of the six platinum group metals (PGMs), which are platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), ruthenium (Ru) and osmium (Os).<\/em><\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 463px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"float: right;border: 0;margin: 10px\" title=\"pacemaker\" src=\"http:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/164773503.jpg\" alt=\"Most pacemakers contain at least two platinum-iridium electrodes. \" width=\"453\" height=\"414\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Most pacemakers contain at least two platinum-iridium electrodes.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The most famous Platinum Group Metals (PGMs), platinum and palladium, are best known as <a href=\"http:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/white-gold-vs-platinum-can-you-see-the-difference\/\" target=\"_blank\">jewelry<\/a> and as primary components in <a href=\"http:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/platinum-group-metal-recovery-from-spent-catalytic-converters-using-xrf\/\" target=\"_blank\">automotive catalytic converters<\/a>, but they\u2019re also biocompatible materials that have several less-known but very important, even life-saving, medical applications. Here\u2019s a summary; for more details, please visit the the <a href=\"http:\/\/ipa-news.com\/index\/pgm-applications\/medical\/\">International Platinum Group Metals Association <\/a>web site.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt\">Cancer<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Platinum and palladium have been active chemotherapy agents since the 1970s and an estimated half or more of all cancer patients who receive chemotherapy are treated with drugs containing platinum. Cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin are all platinum compounds that have been particularly successful in the treatment of testicular and ovarian cancers.<\/p>\n<p>Platinum and palladium also play active roles in cancer radiation therapy. Palladium-103, a radioactive isotope of palladium, shows promise for the treatment of breast and prostate cancer. The outpatient procedure involves permanently implanting small time-release seeds of palladium-103 directly into the tumor to deliver the highest possible dose directly to the source while sparing the surrounding tissue.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt\">Medical devices and implants<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Platinum is inert, rarely causes allergic reactions, has good electrical conductivity, and can be fabricated into tiny components, all qualities that make it an ideal material for pacemakers, stents,\u00a0implantable defibrillators, and catheters. \u00a0Most pacemakers contain at least two platinum-iridium electrodes. Platinum marker bands and guide wires are commonly used to place stents, and now even the stents themselves may be made with platinum alloys. Platinum marker bands are also placed on catheters and guide wires to help surgeons with device placement. Platinum-iridium electrodes are used in neuromodulators such as aural and retinal implants as well as devices used to treat Parkinson\u2019s disease and chronic pain.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt\">Dental<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Palladium, and occasionally platinum, ruthenium or iridium are used to enhance the strength and durability of dental inlays, crowns and bridges. The PGMs are usually mixed with gold, silver, copper or zinc to produce alloys for dentistry.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt\">Testing Technologies<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Many electronic and automotive devices containing PGMs are recycled to recover and reuse the metal, but some of the medical devices mentioned above, such as defibrillators, are recyclable as well. Whether from primary or secondary sources, PGMs must be meticulously refined to separate the PGMs from base metals and contaminants, analyzed for purity, and fabricated to produce medical-grade material. Lab-based PGM analysis includes careful sample preparation and multi-step assaying to detect all minor and trace elements and to ensure the PGM is of pure enough quality for medical applications. Testing technologies to determine precious metal concentrations may include:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thermoscientific.com\/en\/products\/inductively-coupled-plasma-optical-emission-spectrometry-icp-oes.html\">ICP-OES<\/a>: Inductively Coupled Plasma \u2013 Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) , also known as ICP-AES, is an analytical technique used to detect minor and trace elements in a variety of sample types.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thermoscientific.com\/en\/products\/inductively-coupled-plasma-mass-spectroscopy-icp-ms.html\">ICP-MS<\/a> ICP-MS is a technique for the analysis and quantification of trace elements in both solid and liquid samples.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thermoscientific.com\/en\/product\/arl-perform-x-sequential-x-ray-fluorescence-spectrometer.html\">X-ray fluorescence (XRF)<\/a>: XRF a non-destructive analytical technique used to determine the qualitative and quantitative elemental composition of materials.<\/p>\n<p>Learn more about each of these <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thermoscientific.com\/en\/products\/elemental-analysis.html\">elemental analysis techniques<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Editor&#8217;s Note: \u00a0This post is Part 5 of a series that examines the wide range of industrial, medical, and electronic applications of the six platinum group metals (PGMs), which are platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), ruthenium (Ru) and osmium (Os). The most famous Platinum Group Metals (PGMs), platinum and palladium, are best<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":3820,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"division":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3560","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-precious-metals","8":"entry"},"_selected_authors":[1252],"_selected_reviewers":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- 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surprise that many of those who \u2018pop the question\u2019 choose to do it on the day known for its message of love and affection. Those who have bought an engagement\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Precious Metals&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Precious Metals","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/precious-metals\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"ring in box with Valentine heart decorations","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/02\/istock-96917265_valentinejewelry.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/02\/istock-96917265_valentinejewelry.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/02\/istock-96917265_valentinejewelry.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/02\/istock-96917265_valentinejewelry.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13584,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/why-fall-jewelry-trade-shows-matter-for-holiday-inventory-planning\/","url_meta":{"origin":3560,"position":1},"title":"Why Fall Jewelry Trade Shows Matter for Holiday Inventory Planning","author":"Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane","date":"October 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Introduction Fall is a critical inventory-planning period for jewelry retailers, wholesalers, designers, and professional buyers. A major trade-only jewelry event taking place October 16\u201319, 2026, in Miami Beach, Florida, is JIS Fall, which gives industry professionals an opportunity to replenish inventory, discover jewelry trends, explore gold analysis technology, and connect\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General\/Industry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General\/Industry","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/general-industry-metals\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Golden chain hanging on a black frame with bokeh lights and expo blur, matching VIP access, premium presentation, and business event concepts","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/iStock-2265657012_goldshow.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/iStock-2265657012_goldshow.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/iStock-2265657012_goldshow.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/iStock-2265657012_goldshow.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/iStock-2265657012_goldshow.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/iStock-2265657012_goldshow.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12889,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/diwali-sparks-gold-buying-frenzy\/","url_meta":{"origin":3560,"position":2},"title":"Diwali Sparks Gold-Buying Frenzy","author":"Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane","date":"October 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Forty tons of gold, worth $11 billion, was purchased by India in the first two days of Diwali. About 8,000 miles away in New York City, there was a gold buying rush and a cash-for-gold frenzy. Buyers and sellers are banking on the hope that the gold in the pieces\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Precious Metals&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Precious Metals","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/precious-metals\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Diwali Puja Thali With Flowers, Diya, And Gifts","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/iStock-2240362443-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/iStock-2240362443-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/iStock-2240362443-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/iStock-2240362443-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/iStock-2240362443-1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/iStock-2240362443-1.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13568,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/how-handheld-xrf-technology-exposed-counterfeit-silver-coins-sold-online\/","url_meta":{"origin":3560,"position":3},"title":"How Handheld XRF Technology Exposed Counterfeit Silver Coins Sold Online","author":"Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane","date":"May 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary Counterfeit silver coins are becoming a growing problem in online marketplaces, putting coin collectors, precious metal investors, pawn shops, and bullion buyers at financial risk. A recent \u00a0NBC Connecticut investigation uncovered fake American Eagle silver bullion coins being sold online at prices far below market value. Although the coins\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Precious Metals&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Precious Metals","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/precious-metals\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Silver coins and silver bullion","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/iStock-482324309.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/iStock-482324309.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/iStock-482324309.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/iStock-482324309.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/iStock-482324309.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/iStock-482324309.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13857,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/eight-reasons-jewelers-should-not-use-acid-to-test-jewelry\/","url_meta":{"origin":3560,"position":4},"title":"Eight Reasons Jewelers Should NOT Use Acid to Test Jewelry","author":"Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane","date":"October 16, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Introduction Traditional acid testing can provide a useful initial indication of precious metal purity, but authoritative sources recognize its limitations when more precise analysis is needed. The Convention on the Control and Marking of Articles of Precious Metals describes touch acid testing as providing a \u201cgood early indication of fineness\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Precious Metals&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Precious Metals","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/precious-metals\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Jeweller's workshop","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/iStock-1062676800_jewelryacid.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/iStock-1062676800_jewelryacid.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/iStock-1062676800_jewelryacid.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/iStock-1062676800_jewelryacid.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/iStock-1062676800_jewelryacid.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/iStock-1062676800_jewelryacid.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1733,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/heres-a-free-periodic-table-for-your-halloween-goody-bag\/","url_meta":{"origin":3560,"position":5},"title":"Here&#8217;s a Free Periodic Table for Your Halloween Goody-Bag","author":"Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane, Editor","date":"October 30, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"No tricks here. Download this handy periodic table and X-ray energy reference guide to help in analyzing your metals samples. \u00a0It's our treat. Then visit our Steel Manufacturing and Precious Metals Analysis\u00a0 pages for more goodies. Download Periodic Table.\u00a0","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General\/Industry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General\/Industry","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/general-industry-metals\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Halloween pumpkin with goodies","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/MetalsHalloween-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/MetalsHalloween-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/MetalsHalloween-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/MetalsHalloween-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/MetalsHalloween-1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/02\/164773503.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3560","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/54"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3560"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3560\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3820"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3560"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3560"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3560"},{"taxonomy":"division","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/division?post=3560"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}