Learn more about the impact of platinum group metals (PGMs) and how they enable the industries and applications that we rely on in everyday life.
Metals that matter
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Os
Osmium
76
Hi! I'm Osmium
Used in niche applications, such as fountain pen nibs
Symbol: Os
Applications: Advanced technologies, scientific research and luxury products
Market insight: The rarest of all the PGMs. Not widely used or processed but still called on for exceptional hardness and durability.
Atomic number: 76
Ir
Iridium
77
Hi! I'm Iridium
Used in PEM electrolyser cells for green hydrogen production
Symbol: Ir
Applications: Electrochemical products, electronics, chemicals and fuels
Market insight: Smaller market than rhodium and ruthenium, yet indispensable. Maximising recycling and efficiency is crucial and its future supply depends on platinum mining.
Atomic number: 77
Ru
Ruthenium
44
Hi! I'm Ruthenium
Used in resistor components, found widely across electronics
Symbol: Ru
Applications: Chip components, hard disk drives and electrochemical components
Market insight: Cheapest PGM and platinum by-product, but an industrial powerhouse. Widespread recycling occurs, generally in
closed loops which are invisible to the market.
Atomic number: 44
Rh
Rhodium
45
Hi! I'm Rhodium
Emission control catalysts for diesel-fuelled vehicles
most valuable platinum by-product, critical for gasoline NOx emissions. Small Volatile Market dynamics stabilising with continued recycling and EV shift.
Symbol: Rh
Applications: Vehicle emissions control, glass production and chemical catalysts
Market insight: Most valuable platinum by-product, critical for reducing gasoline NOx emissions. Small, volatile market dynamics stabilising with continued recycling and EV shift.
Atomic number: 45
Pd
Palladium
46
Symbol: Pd
Applications: Emissions control, electronics, medical, military and aerospace
Market insight: The most well-supplied PGM, with high demand for gasoline catalysts and pharmaceuticals/electronics. The shift to electric vehicles will enable novel applications.
Atomic number: 46
Hi! I'm Palladium
Emission control catalyst
Pt
Platinum
78
Hi! I'm Platinum
Used widely in jewellery
Symbol: Pt
Applications: Jewellery, automotive, data centres, electronics, aviation and medical technology
Market insight: Indispensable industrial metal with durability and catalytic power. High recycling and abundant deposits ensure production can be sustained for decades.
Atomic number: 78
CLICK TO RETURN TO ALL PGMs
Platinum group metals (PGMs) are all around us. They are woven into the fabric of society, delivering huge benefits across an almost endless list of applications.
Despite the immense benefits, most people remain unaware of how deeply society relies on them.
PGMS bring powerful, unmatched properties - exceptional catalytic activity, durability, circularity and mineral efficiency - qualities so vital that, in most cases, no alternatives exist.
These metals endure where many other materials fail, reliably performing under extreme heat, corrosion, and pressure in the most demanding environments. Remarkably, only small amounts are needed to deliver exceptional performance - and thanks to their high value, PGMs are recycled at scale in a global system that keeps them continually in use.
While often recognised for their crucial role in catalytic converters and the hydrogen economy, the true significance of PGMs extends far beyond. In applications where reliability, performance and efficiency matter most, PGMs play a critical and irreplacable role.
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Extremely effective in small amounts
Constant innovation reduces the quantity of PGM needed to achieve the same performance
High circularity
Among the most recycled materials globally, almost 60% of PGM used in new products each year is recycled
Highly active catalysts
Enable a broad range of challenging chemical reactions that can occur at much lower temperatures
Unmatched stability and durability
Can withstand extremely harsh conditions such as corrosive, oxidising and high temperature environments
What makes PGMs so unique and irreplacable?
CLICK BELOW TO EXPLORE PGM APPLICATIONS WITHIN EACH SECTOR
As the unsung heroes of modern society, the breadth of PGM applications spans many industries, all of which we rely on in our everyday lives. Across the globe, JM enables some of these crucial applications.
Agriculture
and food
High-performance glass production
Chemicals
Automotive
Aerospace and defence
Life science technologies
Clean energy
Electronics and information technology
Agriculture and food
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PGM gauzes used as catalysts to produce nitric acid for fertilisers
Materials to control the ripening of packaged fruits and vegetables to extend shelf life and reduce food waste
Catalysts for:
Producing specialist agrochemicals (pesticides and herbicides)
Control emissions from farming equipment like tractors
Zero-emission fuel cell lift trucks for food warehousing
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Broader applications
High-performance glass production
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Coated ceramics and PGM fabrications for glass melting furnaces to make technical glass (medical, borosilicate)
Thermocouples for high-temperature sensing
Isopipes for producing display glass via the fusion process
Bushings for glass fibre production - used in construction, aircraft, and wind turbine blades
Broader applications
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Broader applications
Chemicals
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Catalysts used to produce:
Silicones (particularly food- or medical-grade silicnes)
Intermediates for textiles, plastics, solvents, plasticisers, adhesives, coatings and films
Electrodes that help produce chlorine and sodium hydroxide, used in soaps, detergent and water treatment
Helps catalyse the production of hydrogen peroxide
Broader applications
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Broader applications
Automotive
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Catalysts and components for:
Emission control (catalytic converters)
Automotive fuel cells
Pastes and wires for onboard sensors (temperature, oxygen, etc)
Ignition tips for spark plugs
Ultrafine wire for airbag initiators
Catalysts and components for:
High-octane gasoline
Renewable diesel (from hydrotreated vegetable oil)
High-performance engine lubricants
Automotive mirror coatings
Electrodes for producing copper foils, needed as current collectors in lithium-ion batteries
Broader applications
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Aerospace and defence
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Pinning wires for jet engine turbine blade casting
Thermal coatings for rocket engines to withstand extreme heat
Igniter tips that ensure reliable engine starts
Brazing alloys for aerospace applications
Catalysts for the production of sustainable aviation fuel
Electroplating salts used as protective coatings on turbine blades
Sensors that ensure safe flights by measuring temperature, pressure and speed
Thermal protective coatings in rocket engines
Military-spec capacitors and other electronic components
PGM-doped tungsten carbides for cutting tools
Broader applications
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Life science technologies
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Catalysts used to make life-saving medicines e.g. anticancer treatments
X-ray filtering foils for mammography equipment
Catalysts to produce pain relief medication
Guidewire coatings for electrophysiology catheters used in heart procedures
Defibrillator electrodes for restoring heart rhythm
Cochlear implants that restore hearing
Biomedical devices such as stents and pacemakers
Broader applications
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Broader applications
Clean energy
Enabled By
Components and catalysts for:
Green hydrogen production
Phosphoric acid fuel cells for hydrogen-fuelled power generation
Processing fuels like biogas, renewable natural gas, ammonia, hydrogen, for high-efficiency solid oxide fuel cells – critical for powering data centres
Palladium membranes for hydrogen purification
Components and catalysts for liquid organic hydrogen carriers
Broader applications
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Electronics and information technology
Enabled By
Crucibles for single crystals used as Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) filters for enhancing mobile data signal
Materials for micro circuits in phones, laptops and smart devices
Thermocouple wires for temperature monitoring in chip fabrication
PGM pastes for resistor components used in almost every chip device
Compounds that make OLED screens bright and energy-efficient
Materials forming the magnetic layer in hard drives – critical for data storage and AI infrastructure
Protective coatings on circuit boards and connectors to ensure durability in medical devices, cars and aerospace systems
Broader applications
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Powering the industries we need most
60
%
of PGM metal used on new products every year is recycled
%
97
lower global warming potential (GWP) than newly mined metal
%
70
>
of PGMs used in JM products are recycled
The impact of PGMs is all around us, if you know where to look. From powering data centres and enabling modern aviation, to clean hydrogen production and fuel cells, their expanding role from today's essential applications to tomorrow's green technologies has driven dramatic growth in their use over the past 50 years.
That growth has only been possible with circularity. Today, PGMs are among the most highly recycled materials in the world. They have a mature, effective and global recycling network in place, providing a sustainable supply to meet demand in critical technologies, today and for the future.
With a rich and proud history for over 200 years in these precious metals, JM is a global leader in unlocking their unique properties to solve some of the most complex challenges.
Endless impact
with sustained circularity
Our resources
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The PGM opportunity
EDUCATIONAL
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Key PGM insights for a circular economy
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Enabling circularity through PGMs: open vs. closed loop recycling
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Platinum group metals: a circular solution for a net zero future
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Why PGMs are the unsung heroes of our modern world
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PGM markets, publications and other resources
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The PGM opportunity
EDUCATIONAL
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