A History of Platinum

and its
Allied Metals
D O N A L D M c D O N A L D & LESLIE B. H U N T
A History of Platinum
and its
Allied Metals
A History of Platinum
and its
Allied Metals

Donald M cDonald
and
Leslie B. H unt

jM m
JOHNSON MATTHEY
H atton Garden, London, EC 1
 F I R S T P U B L I S H E D I N G R E A T B R I T A I N IN 1982

C O P Y R IG H T © JO H N S O N M A T T H E Y

ISBN 0 905118 83 9

D istributed by
E U R O PA P U B L IC A T IO N S L IM IT E D
18 Bedford Square, London W C IB 3JN, England
by arrangem ent with
JO H N S O N MATTHEY

This book has been typeset in Photon Bodoni and Baskerville

and printed an d bound in England by
STA PLES P R I N T E R S ST ALBANS L IM IT E D
at T he Priory Press, Hertfordshire
“A History of Platinum and its Allied Metals”, by Donald McDonald and Leslie B. Hunt

Foreword
BY T H E R T . H O N . L O R D R O B E N S O F W O L D I N G H A M

C h airm an of J o h n so n M a tth ey

S ince m a n first discovered fire a n d invented th e w heel th e re h a s b ee n a c o n ­

tin uou s effort t h ro u g h the c e n tu ries to p u s h back th e fro n tiers of k n o w led g e a n d
this still goes o n w ith m a rk e d success. F r o m th e very b e g in n in g s of m o d e rn
ind u stry th e in h e re n t ch a ra c te ris tic s of p l a t i n u m - its hig h m e ltin g p o in t c o m ­
b in e d w ith its exceptional resistan c e to c o rro sio n - o p e n e d u p fields for its
ap p lica tio n a n d gave it, in fact, a u n iq u e p lace in th e h isto ry of re s e a rc h a n d
invention.
T h e researches of F a ra d a y , Davy, a n d of those w h o followed th e m in
developing o u r know ledg e of electricity show h ow g re atly they relied u p o n
p la tin u m to provide a m e a n s of ca rry in g, m a k in g a n d b re a k in g a c u r re n t, while
the d evelopm ent of th e electric teleg rap h , of th e in c a n d e s c e n t la m p a n d l a te r of
the th erm io n ic valve all involved the use of p la tin u m , as d id th e early in ternal
co m b u s tio n engines, first for ig niter tu b es a n d la te r for m a g n e to co ntacts. S o m e
of these p io neering a p p lica tio n s have b e e n s u p e r se d e d b y o th e r m ateria ls, but
fu rth e r a n d b r o a d e r d e m a n d s have arise n a n d b e c o m e w idely established.
T o d a y very large a m o u n ts of p l a t i n u m a re em ployed, for exam ple, as a c a ta ly st
in the p r o d u c tio n of nitric acid a n d th e n c e in the m a n u f a c t u r e of h u g e q u a n titie s
of fertilisers to increase the grow ing of food for a n ever-increasing a n d h u n g ry
w orld po pulation , w hile the refo rm in g of c r u d e p e tro le u m w ith a p la tin u m
catalyst yields not only o u r high o c ta n e petrol b u t also a ra n g e of c h e m ic a l in te r­
m ediates re q u ire d for th e p r o d u c tio n of plastics, s y n th etic fibres, dyestuffs a n d
p h a rm a ceu tica ls. T h e m a n u f a c tu r e of optical glass a n d of fibre-glass w o u ld not
be possible w ith o u t th e use of p la tin u m , w hile th e in vention of the fuel cell e n a b l ­
ing space to be c o n q u e re d a n d m a n ’s j o u r n e y to th e m o o n to b e ac co m p lish e d
a n d now being u sed to g e n e ra te electricity also d e p e n d s u p o n the m etal.
The usefulness of p l a t i n u m ’s five allied m etals - p a lla d iu m , rh o d iu m ,
iridium, r u t h e n i u m a n d o s m iu m - w as la te r in d e v e lo p m e n t t h a n w ith p la tin u m
itself, b u t over th e p a s t fifty years or so th ey too have fo u n d g row ing ap p lic a tio n s
in chem ical, electrical a n d electronic engineering.
In all these a n d in m a n y o th e r d ev e lo p m e n ts th e p l a t i n u m m etals have
play ed a very special p a r t in th e lives of m a n k in d , a n d in this book the au th o rs,
w hose co m b in e d len g th of service w ith J o h n s o n M a t t h e y exceeds n inety years,
have traced their history from th e d a y th e q u alitie s of p l a t i n u m w e re first
discovered in 1750. It is a w ork of historical im p o rta n c e a n d will u n d o u b te d ly
en co urag e the scientific a n d technical re searc h ers to seek p a s tu re s new w ith this

© 1982 Johnson Matthey

“A History of Platinum and its Allied Metals”, by Donald McDonald and Leslie B. Hunt

re m a rk a b le noble m etal w h ic h h a s im p rov ed the q u a lity of life in m a n y diverse

ways.
O n e of th e latest a c h ie v em en ts has b e e n th e use of a co m p lex p l a t i n u m c o m ­
p o u n d to p ro d u c e a d ru g k n o w n a s C i s p l a ti n w h ich , u sed e ith e r as a single agent
or m o re usually in c o m b in a tio n th e r a p y , is active a g a in st several ty pes of h u m a n
tu m o u rs. S ince this discovery f u r t h e r re s e a rc h is leading to a ra n g e of a n t i ­
t u m o u r drugs for w h ich m a n y c a n c e r sufferers will b e grateful.
B u t the en d of th e p r o d u c t lin e by th e use of p l a t i n u m h a s not yet b ee n
re ached. R e s e a rc h goes o n ceaselessly a n d new benefits to m a n will flow from
the efforts of the scientists w h o a lre a d y see so m u c h yet to c o n q u e r in the
d evelopm ent of p la tin u m usage.
Yes, p la tin u m is a noble m e t a l a n d a n o ble task h as b e e n ac c o m p lis h e d by
th e a u th o rs w h o have b e e n a s s o c ia te d w ith it for m o st of th e ir w o rk in g lives a n d
have seen so m u c h th a t is g ood for m a n k i n d em e rg e from its use.
M o s t un fo rtu n a te ly M r D o n a l d M c D o n a l d , w h o first co m p ile d a history of
p l a t i n u m in 1960, died at th e a g e of 92 w hile th is book, m u c h e n la rg e d a n d
b r o u g h t u p -to -d a te by D r Leslie H u n t , w as in th e press.

© 1982 Johnson Matthey

“A History of Platinum and its Allied Metals”, by Donald McDonald and Leslie B. Hunt

Preface

O f all the che m ic al elem ents p l a t i n u m h a s a t t r a c t e d th e active in tere st of

m o re d istin g u ish ed scientists t h a n a n y o th e r since it w a s first b r o u g h t to their
a tte n tio n in 1750. Its hig h m eltin g p o in t a n d th e g re a t difficulties en c o u n te re d
in re n d e rin g its inv alu able p ro p e rtie s available for p ra c tic a l use fru stra te d
m a n y able m e n over a long p erio d of y ears a n d th e story of th e ir strug gles is
one of p erseveran ce a n d ingenuity. O n l y after th e discovery in 1803 a n d 1804
th a t native p l a t i n u m d id not consist of j u s t o n e e lem e n t b u t c o n ta in e d at
least four o th ers - p a lla d iu m , rh o d iu m , irid iu m a n d o s m iu m - a n d their
identification a n d s e p a ra tio n w as it possible to o b ta in p l a t i n u m in a s ta te of
relatively high purity.
T h e n the w ell-kn ow n w ork of W illia m H y d e W o lla s to n in devising a p o w d e r
m etallurgy process to b rin g it into m a lle a b le form, p u b lis h e d only after his
d e a th in 1828, led to its first c o m m e rc ia l ap plica tion s.
F ro m th e n o n w a rd s th e refining a n d fa b ric a tio n of p la tin u m , as well as the
stu d y of its ch e m is try a n d m etallu rg y , w ere ta k e n up m o re w idely a n d a n u m b e r
of in d u strial con c ern s c o m m e n c e d o p e ra tio n s in E n g la n d , F r a n c e a n d G e rm a n y ,
this leading o n to th e search for fu rth e r sources of m in era l. T h i s slow b u t c o n ­
tinuous d eve lop m e nt over som e tw o h u n d r e d y ea rs w a s th e sub ject of “ A H isto ry
of P la tin u m from th e E arlie st T im e s to th e 1880’s ” w ritte n b y m y senior
colleague D o n a ld M c D o n a l d a n d p u b lis h e d by J o h n s o n M a t t h e y in 1960. T h is
was b a s e d not only u p o n his long ex p erience in w o rk in g w ith p l a t i n u m b u t also
on a g reat deal of p a in sta k in g re searc h in th e early scientific l ite r a tu r e in five
languages as well as in th e c o m p a n y ’s archives. D u r i n g t h e in terv enin g tw en ty -
two years a c o n s id e ra b le a m o u n t of re searc h h a s b e e n c a rrie d o u t by h isto rian s
of science o n th e lives a n d w ork of a n u m b e r of th e m e n a ss o c ia te d with
p latin u m , a n d w ith th e en th u s ia s tic a g r e e m e n t of M r . M c D o n a l d , w h o sadly
died while this bo ok w as in th e press, I have u n d e r ta k e n the p r e p a r a t i o n of a
com pletely revised a n d e n la rg e d v olum e to re co rd in g re a te r detail th e history of
th e p la tin u m g ro u p of m etals. Also, th e scale of p r o d u c tio n a n d use of these
m etals has in cre ased alm o st five-fold since 1960 so th a t they now play a n even
m o re im p o rta n t p a r t in m a n y p h a se s of in d u s try a n d in daily life a n d th e period
covered h a s therefo re b e e n ex te n d e d by som e seventy-five y ea rs o r so to include
the m a jo r discoveries of new sources of s u p p ly as well as th e ir m o re recent
applications.
T h e p re sen t volum e re ta in s th e gene ral s t r u c t u r e of D o n a ld M c D o n a l d ’s
book b u t includ es c o n sid erab ly m o re b io g ra p h ic a l m a te r ia l on tho se w h o feature
in the story, w ith m a n y of th e ir p o rtra its, w hile I have a t t e m p t e d to b rin g out
bo th their p e rs o n a l m o tiv a tio n in ta k in g up th e w ork a n d th e ir influence one

© 1982 Johnson Matthey

“A History of Platinum and its Allied Metals”, by Donald McDonald and Leslie B. Hunt

u p o n another. In this I have also trie d to follow th e p re c e p t laid d o w n by Dr.

J o h n s o n in a n o th e r context. I n i n tr o d u c in g his “ Life of A d d i s o n ” h e w rote:
N ot to nam e the school or the m asters of m en illustrious for literature is a kind of
historical fraud by w hich honest fa m e is injuriously d im inished.
M y th a n k s a re d u e to a g re a t m a n y p e o p le for m a k in g this book possible.
First, to my fo rm e r colleagues on t h e B o a rd of J o h n s o n M a t t h e y for s p o n so rin g
its p u b lic a tio n a n d th e n to D r. W . A . S m e a to n , a to w er of s tre n g th a n d advice to
m e o n th e history of science over t h e p a st tw e n ty y ea rs a n d m ore. T o P rofessor
M e lv y n U ss e lm a n of th e U n iv e rs ity of W e s te r n O n t a r io , a n d to D r. J o h n
C h a ld e c o tt, form erly of th e S c ie n c e M u s e u m , I ow e a g re a t d e b t for th e ir c o n ­
tin u in g researches on th e life a n d w o r k of W o llasto n , as I do to th e late D r. A. E.
W a le s for sim ilar re searc h es on S m i t h s o n T e n n a n t , to D r. P e te r C o llins for his
stu d y of D ö b e re in e r a n d to P ro fe ss o r G e o rg e K a u f f m a n for his re s e a rc h e s on
R u s s ia n scientists. T o M r. M a x W o o d a n d A i r C o m m o d o r e F. J . P. W o o d I am
m ost grateful for in fo rm a tio n o n t h e i r an c e s to r C h a rle s W o o d w h o first b r o u g h t
sp ec im e n s of p l a t i n u m to E n g la n d , w hile to D r. J . R . F is h e r of th e U n iv ersity of
Liverpool I owe g u id a n c e on th e e a r l y h isto ry of p l a t i n u m m in in g in th e S p a n is h
colonies of S o u th A m erica. T o M . R o g e t C h r i s t o p h e I a m in d e b te d for his
re s e a rc h on the early history of p l a t i n u m fa b ric a tio n in F r a n c e a n d to Dr.
H e r m a n n R e n n e r for p rov id ing full details of th e early h isto ry of DEGUSSA. T o
D r. P e ta B u c h a n a n I a m i n d e b t e d for p a in s ta k in g re se a rc h o n a n u m b e r of
genealogical p ro b le m s a n d to M r s . V. E. H a r d i n g , u n til re cen tly lib ra ria n of
J o h n s o n M a tth e y , for p ro c u rin g c o p ie s of p u b lic a tio n s difficult of access. I have
also h a d the benefit of access to t h e archives o f j o h n s o n M a t t h e y , in c lu d in g the
long co rre s p o n d e n c e of G e o rg e M a t t h e y , a n d th e ir early B o a rd m in u te s.
F o r facilitating m y ow n re s e a rc h e s I have p le a s u r e in ac k n o w led g in g the
helpfulness of th e lib ra ria n s a n d t h e i r staffs of T h e B ritish L ib ra ry , T h e R o y al
Society, the R o y al Society of C h e m is tr y , T h e R o y a l I n s titu tio n , T h e Science
M u s e u m , T h e U niversity of C a m b r i d g e , T h e U n iv e rs ity of E d i n b u r g h , T h e
In s titu tio n of M in in g a n d M e t a l l u r g y , the G eo log ical Society, T h e V ic to ria a n d
A lb e rt M u s e u m , G u y ’s H o s p ita l, T h e W e llc o m e In s titu te , T h e S o ciety of
F rien d s, the B ib lio tèq ue N a tio n a le , T h e A c a d é m ie R o y a l des Sciences, T h e
B undesarchiv, T h e W ü r t t e m b u r g i s c h e L a n d e s b ib lio th e k , th e Pfälzische
L and e sb ib lio th ek , T h e B a y e ris c h e n S ta a ts b ib lio th e k a n d th e R o y a l S w ed ish
A c a d e m y of Sciences.
F o r answ erin g m y m a n y q u e s tio n s on specific p o in ts o r a b o u t individual
scientists or for providin g v a lu a b le in fo rm a tio n I a m also m o s t grateful to Dr.
R o b e rt A nderson, Dr. R o b e r t B u d , Dr. B ria n Bowers, D r. J ill A u s t i n a n d M r.
P eter M a n n , all of the Science M u s e u m , to Dr. W a rw ic k B ray of th e I n s titu te of
Archaeology, U niversity of L o n d o n , to M rs . S h irley B u ry of th e V icto ria a n d
A lb e rt M u s e u m , M r. H e n r y W o lla s to n , Pro fessor M a u r i c e C ro sla n d , Professor
C yril S tanley S m ith, M r. P eter E m b r e y of th e N a t u r a l H is to ry M u s e u m , Dr.
L in d sey H u g h e s of th e U niv ersity of R e a d in g , M rs . U n a des F o n ta in e s , M r.
R o b e r t C op elan d , D r. Ia n F raser, M i s s A n n Petrie, M rs. C l a r e Le C o rb e ille r of

Vili

© 1982 Johnson Matthey

“A History of Platinum and its Allied Metals”, by Donald McDonald and Leslie B. Hunt

the M e tr o p o lita n M u s e u m of A rt, N e w York, M r. J a m e s V. C ra w fo rd , P re s id e n t

of U .O .P ., M . O liver S oulet of Paris, M r. K. W. M a x w e ll of R u s te n b u r g
P la tin u m M ines, P rofessor A r n e F r e d g a of th e S w edish A c a d e m y of Sciences,
M r. Niels G r a m a n d Dr. F ro d e G a lsb ^ l of C o p e n h a g e n , H e r r U . K u n z of
DEGUSSA, M . J e a n P ie rre S a v a r d of Paris, D r. C h r i s t o p h R a u b of S c h w ä b is c h
G m ü n d , D r. F. W . J . M c C o s h , M r. R o b e rt B arker, D r. J a n e t C u tle r, M r. Paul
W eindling, M r. P. A. L ovett a n d M r . S. T . P a y n e of In c o E u ro p e , M r . G r a h a m
D y e r of the R o y a l M in t, M r. V in ce n t N e w m a n , M iss B a r b a r a P y ra h , H e r r W illy
F uchs of F ra n k fu rt, Professor G i a n M a r i a G ro s -P ie tro a n d Dr. D o n n a
d ’O ld e n ic o of T u r i n , D r. H a n s P re s c h e r of D re s d e n , M a d a m e T a m a r a P r e a u d
of th e M a n u f a c t u r e n a tio n a le de Sèves, D r. J . G . B ru ijn a n d D r. E. Bock of the
N e th e rla n d s a n d P rofessor F ra n c is ic o A r a g o n d e la C r u z of M a d r id .
Lastly it is a p le a su re to ackn ow ledge the g en e ro u s h elp received fro m my
colleagues o n Platinum Metals Review, m y sec retary M rs . J u l i e A d a m s w ho nobly
struggled w ith the ty pin g of th e m a n u s c r ip t a n d its n u m e r o u s revisions an d
additions, M r . I. E. C o t ti n g t o n for re a d in g th e proofs, su g gesting m a n y im p ro v e ­
m ents a n d p r e p a r in g th e n a m e index, M rs. S u s a n A s h to n for m u c h lib ra ry work
involving w restling w ith i n n u m e r a b le in correct references in th e li te r a t u r e and
for p re p a rin g the subject index, M is s P avla K n o p o v a for s e a rc h in g for p a t e n t s
a n d for tra n s la tio n from R u ss ia n . F in a lly m y th a n k s also go to M r. H . D. S m ith,
M a n a g in g D ir e c to r of S ta p le s P rin te rs St. A lb a n s L im ite d , for his lively
personal in tere st in th e ty p o g rap h y , d esign a n d p ro d u c ti o n of th e book.

H a tt o n G a r d e n LESLIE B H U N T
L on d o n
J u n e 1982

IX

© 1982 Johnson Matthey

“A History of Platinum and its Allied Metals”, by Donald McDonald and Leslie B. Hunt

Contents
Chapter Page

1 T h e B eginning of the Story 1

2 T h e Platinum of N e w G ranada 13

3 Early Scientific E nquiries into th e Properties and N a tu re of P la tin u m 29

4 Early A ttem p ts to M elt and W ork P latinu m 55

5 T h e A rsenic P rocess and its U se by th e F rench G o ld sm ith s 75

6 T h e P latinum A ge in S p ain 93

7 T h e W id en in g of Interest in P latinu m and its Properties 109

8 T h e P rofessional S cien tists of L on d on and their S o cieties 133

9 T h e Partnership of S m ith son T en n a n t and W illiam H y d e W o lla sto n 147

10 T h e P latinum Industry in France after the R ev o lu tio n 179

11 Progress in E n glan d after W ollaston 195

12 T h e D iscovery and Early H istory of C atalysis 219

13 T h e F ou n d ation of the R u ssia n P latinum Industry 235

14 T h e P latinu m M etals in Early N in eteen th C en tu ry C hem istry 253

15 T h e M eltin g of P latinu m and the N ew M eta llu rg y of D ev ille and D eb ra y 271

16 G eorge M a tth ey and the B u ild in g of the British P latin u m In du stry 289

17 T h e D evelop m en t of th e P latinum Industry in C o n tin en ta l E u rop e 317

18 T h e P latinu m M etals in the P eriodic S ystem 333

19 Platinum in the M easu rem ent o f H igh T em p era tu res 351

20 Platinum E xtraction and F abrication on the A m erica n C o n tin en ts 365

21 T h e G row th of Industrial C atalysis w ith the P la tin u m M eta ls 385

22 Production of the P latinu m M etals in Soviet R u ssia 403

23 T h e D iscovery of the W o rld ’s G reatest P latinu m R esou rces 411

24 T h e Story C on tin u es . . . 422

N am e In dex 435

Subject Index 443

© 1982 Johnson Matthey

“A History of Platinum and its Allied Metals”, by Donald McDonald and Leslie B. Hunt

Ju liu s Caesar S ealiger

1484-1558
T h e first kn ow n lite rary r e f e r e n c e to p la tin u m is to be fou nd in the
E xo terica ru m E xe rc ita lio n u m com piled by Sealiger and pu b lis h ed in
P a ris in 1557. T his was larg e ly a polem ical work criticising the g reat
work of a n o th e r Italian s c h o l a r , H ie r o n im o C a r d a n , who had de fine d a
metal as “ a substa nc e th at c a n b e m elted a n d which h a r d e n s on cooling"

© 1982 Johnson Matthey