October 31 - November 3, 2004
Element of the Day
Sunday, October 3
Name
Origin: From the Spanish word "platina"
meaning "silver"
Discovered by: Antonio de Ulloa (South America) in 1735.
Uses: Jewelry, wire, vessels for laboratory use, thermocouple elements, electrical contacts, corrosion-resistant apparatus, in dentistry; in the finely divided state platinum is an excellent catalyst (such as the contact process for producing sulfuric acid). Also as a catalyst for cracking oil and as a catalyst in fuel cells and in catalytic converters for cars.