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Ore leaves the mine to be refined.
The first step in the mining process is getting the platinum ore out of the ground and into a refinery or processing plant. Two methods exist to extract platinum ore: the old "narrow reef method" and newer mechanical mining methods. The original "narrow reef method" consists of drilling holes, loading them with explosives and removing the ore once it's blasted free.
Newer methods utilize specialized drilling equipment to remove the ore and load-haul-dump machines to transport the ore from the mine. Platinum may be mined using traditional open-pit strip-mining methods or underground mining methods, depending on where the vein is located.
Extracting pgm from the rest.
Once it's mined, the extraction process begins. The platinum ore is first crushed to produce tiny particles suitable for further treatment. The next step is the flotation separation method, which relies on air particles bubbling through an aeration tank to adhere to pgm particles and float them to the top of the tank. They form a froth at the top of the tank, which is then skimmed off for refining.
Concentrating pgm.
The concentration process requires smelting the dried pgm froth at high temperatures to separate the pgm further from unwanted materials. Other minerals oxidize and are removed. The pgm is then treated with air to blow out particles of iron and sulfur in order to further concentrate the platinum group metals.
Refining platinum.
After mining, extraction and concentration, platinum group metals must be refined. This is another step that removes nickel, copper and cobalt from the other pgm. Electrolytic techniques remove the copper, cobalt and nickel from platinum group metals. Finally, a series of ion-exchange techniques, distillation and solvent extraction occur. Soluble metals, such as gold, are dissolved in hydrochloric acid and chlorine gas, and finally only platinum remains.
What else can I help you with?
How is platinum made?
platinum is a very rare metal. some has been found in the earth's crust, Ural mountains in Russia and Columbia. technically platinum isn't made but found chemically uncombined. then mined out.
Where is rhodium found and in what compound?
Rhodium is primarily found in platinum group metal ores, such as pentlandite and pyroxenite. It is commonly mined in South Africa, Russia, and Canada. In nature, rhodium is often found alloyed with other platinum group metals like platinum and palladium.
Where can platinum be found in nature?
Platinum was first mined commercially in South Africa.But it is found in various amounts in gold ores, so that yellow gold in Ancient Egypt contains platinum, and white gold in pre-Columbian Ecuador had significant platinum content. It was from South America that Antonio de Ulloa identified platinum as a separate metal, although alloys were studied by William Brownrigg and Charles Wood as early as 1741. A malleable form of the metal was prepared by Carl von Sickingen in 1772.
Rocks that are mined because they contian useful substances are called what?
ores are rocks that are mined
Why platinum is more expensive than titanium?
Platinum is the more expensive metal because of it's scarcity. Platinum makes up 0.005 parts per million of the earth's crust, and the majority of platinum mined is used as an industrial catalyst such as the catalytic converters in cars. Titanium is the 9th most abundant element in the earth's crust. What's more, titanium is most often used in small proportions of other alloys. Pure titanium is only about as strong as low-grade steel, whereas it's alloys with steel, vanadium, molybdenum and other metals are incredibly strong and comparably light weight. Platinum is typically sought after in it's purest form.
How do we get platinum?
It is mined.
What type of minerals were mined at Johannesburg?
Platinum and gold mostly.
What natural resource is mined in south Africa and botswana?
The answer is platinum
What element mined in Montana is used in catalytic converters?
platinum
How much platinum is mined each each year?
150 tons are mined each year. :)
Total volume of platinum mined in history?
The same as the volume of blood in an elephant.
Is platinum a renewable or non renewable resources?
like all metals, platinum is made of minerals which are mined from the earth, thus non-renewable. my Biology professor says it is renewable :)
Is platinum found in gold?
Nope. It is its' own metal. It is mined from the ground just like any other metal.
What mineral is mined in sudbury?
Nickel is the primary mineral mined in Sudbury, Ontario. Sudbury is known for its rich nickel deposits, which have been mined since the late 19th century. The region also produces other metals such as copper, cobalt, platinum, and palladium.
Where is platinum found in Canada?
The largest platinum deposit in Canada is near Sudbury, Ontario
Where is nickel mined in south Africa?
Nkomati near the Mozambique border, but the main source is as a by-product of the platinum mines in Rustenberg
What natural resources do you need to make platnium?
Platinum is a metallic element that is mined, not made. To obtain it you need to locate a ore body.
