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Article: Platinum
- Article from:
- Chemistry: Foundations and Applications
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 The Gale Group, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Platinum
melting point:
1,739
°
C
boiling point: 4,170
°
C
density: 21.45 g/cm
3
most common ions: Pt
2+
,
Pt(Cl)
6
2
−
,
Pt(CN)
4
2
−
,
Pt(CN)
6
2
−
The first reports of the discovery of platinum were the papers of Antonio de Ulloa, who found an unworkable
metal
,
platina
(Spanish for "little silver"), in the gold mines of Colombia in 1736. Charles Wood provided the first samples in 1741. Platinum has a concentration of approximately 10
−
6
percent in Earth's crust. Platinum crystallizes in the face-centered cubic structure. The pure metal is malleable and
ductile
, and lustrous and silvery in appearance. It is capable of absorbing gaseous hydrogen. ...