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Palladium
Palladium today appears to be the most valuable of the four major precious metals. It is an extremely rare, silver-white metal that has the purity and lustrous tone of platinum and keeps its brilliant color for life. Palladium has a relatively low melting point and low density compared to the other platinum group metals, which include ruthenium, rhodium, osmium, iridium, and platinum. Palladium was first extracted from platinum ore in 1803, but as early as 1700, miners in Brazil were aware of a metal they called ouro podre or “worthless gold,” which we now know to have been a native alloy of palladium and gold.
The Thermo Scientific portfolio of palladium products can be used in a wide range of laboratory research applications. Additional research applications are currently in development, including as a component in fuel cell technology and in the removal of toxins and carcinogens in groundwater. Explore our PremIon line of precious metal compounds and pure elements. The minimum purity of our PremIon line of products is 99.99% (metals basis). PremIon pure elements include platinum, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, osmium, silver, and gold.
We offer a broad range of catalog products which are available in bulk quantities and pack sizes that can be customized to your requirements.
Palladium compounds
Palladium analytical standards
Due to their intrinsic characteristics, precious metals have generated great interest in research laboratories worldwide to explore their potential applications in different fields. Some examples of applications are listed below. Thermo Fisher Scientific can provide a broad range of high-purity metals and materials for your R&D studies.
Chemistry
Finely divided palladium, such as palladium on carbon, is used as a heterogeneous catalyst in hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, and petroleum cracking. Combined with a variety of ligands (e.g., bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(II) dichloride), palladium acts as a homogeneous catalyst in the synthesis of fine chemicals. The 2010 Nobel Prize in chemistry recognized the significance of palladium reagents as catalysts in the synthetically important Heck, Negishi, and Suzuki cross-coupling reactions.
Emission control devices
Over 57% of the palladium supply is used in the catalytic converters found in more than 98% of all new vehicles. Palladium in these devices play a crucial role in converting harmful gases emitted by gasoline engines, such as carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, and oxides of nitrogen into less harmful carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and water vapor.
Medicine and dentistry
Because it is nontoxic and not antagonistic toward the human body, palladium is used in medicine to treat prostate and breast cancer in the early stages of the disease. In a procedure called brachytherapy, small seeds of the radioisotope palladium-103 are injected into the afftected area, delivering local doses of radiation over a period of time. The treatment is reported to be associated with low complication rates and a long-term disease-free survival rate of 90%. Furthermore, rising gold prices in the 1980s made palladium a popular option for dental inlays, crowns, and bridges. The Thermo Scientific portfolio contains a range of palladium compounds for laboratory research and analytical standards to help in the characterization of your products.
Jewelry
Palladium jewelry is 95% pure and will not tarnish like sterling silver. It is also hypoallergenic, making it the metal of choice for sensitive skin. Its malleability allows designers to make very intricate pieces. Palladium is often used in white gold alloys, being lighter than platinum and purer than white gold, and it does not need to be plated with rhodium plating to keep it shiny.
Electronics
Because of its electrical conductivity and its durability, palladium is widely used in electronics. A small amount of the metal is used in the components of virtually every type of electronic device, from basic consumer products to complex military hardware. The metal is most commonly used in multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCC) found in laptop computers and mobile phones. Smaller amounts of palladium are used in hybrid integrated circuits (HIC) and for plating connectors and lead frames.
Palladium compounds
Palladium analytical standards
Due to their intrinsic characteristics, precious metals have generated great interest in research laboratories worldwide to explore their potential applications in different fields. Some examples of applications are listed below. Thermo Fisher Scientific can provide a broad range of high-purity metals and materials for your R&D studies.
Chemistry
Finely divided palladium, such as palladium on carbon, is used as a heterogeneous catalyst in hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, and petroleum cracking. Combined with a variety of ligands (e.g., bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(II) dichloride), palladium acts as a homogeneous catalyst in the synthesis of fine chemicals. The 2010 Nobel Prize in chemistry recognized the significance of palladium reagents as catalysts in the synthetically important Heck, Negishi, and Suzuki cross-coupling reactions.
Emission control devices
Over 57% of the palladium supply is used in the catalytic converters found in more than 98% of all new vehicles. Palladium in these devices play a crucial role in converting harmful gases emitted by gasoline engines, such as carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, and oxides of nitrogen into less harmful carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and water vapor.
Medicine and dentistry
Because it is nontoxic and not antagonistic toward the human body, palladium is used in medicine to treat prostate and breast cancer in the early stages of the disease. In a procedure called brachytherapy, small seeds of the radioisotope palladium-103 are injected into the afftected area, delivering local doses of radiation over a period of time. The treatment is reported to be associated with low complication rates and a long-term disease-free survival rate of 90%. Furthermore, rising gold prices in the 1980s made palladium a popular option for dental inlays, crowns, and bridges. The Thermo Scientific portfolio contains a range of palladium compounds for laboratory research and analytical standards to help in the characterization of your products.
Jewelry
Palladium jewelry is 95% pure and will not tarnish like sterling silver. It is also hypoallergenic, making it the metal of choice for sensitive skin. Its malleability allows designers to make very intricate pieces. Palladium is often used in white gold alloys, being lighter than platinum and purer than white gold, and it does not need to be plated with rhodium plating to keep it shiny.
Electronics
Because of its electrical conductivity and its durability, palladium is widely used in electronics. A small amount of the metal is used in the components of virtually every type of electronic device, from basic consumer products to complex military hardware. The metal is most commonly used in multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCC) found in laptop computers and mobile phones. Smaller amounts of palladium are used in hybrid integrated circuits (HIC) and for plating connectors and lead frames.
Find palladium in our interactive periodic table
Learn about the physical properties of palladium or any element, select products by format, and find compounds and alloys.