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Gold/Mining/Energy : Precious and Base Metal Investing -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: ms.smartest.person who wrote (4954)	9/14/2002 2:00:29 PM
From: ms.smartest.person	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 39344

Platinum: a Girl's New Best Friend -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Story Filed: Thursday, September 12, 2002 5:42 PM EST Johannesburg, Sep 13, 2002 (Mail & Guardian/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- South Africa is the world's leading producer of platinum -- once fobbed off as gold's poor cousin, but now widely coveted as the metal of the new millennium. The global demand for this expensive, ductile and lustrous metal presents an economic opportunity for South Africa, which is experiencing a R20-billion platinum rush that has resulted in platinum revenue overtaking that of gold. The demand also holds a unique challenge for mechanical engineering research, which has been taken up by staff and students at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Platinum-group metals attracted R27,1-billion-worth of income in 2000, ahead of gold's R25,3-billion, according to Mining Weekly -- and platinum did this with fewer people andounces. It is expected that South Africa's output of the element will rise from its 1999 production levels of 3,9-million ounces a year to more than seven million ounces in 2006. Platinum is non-corrosive and its catalytic properties have made it desirable for a number of industrial processes. It is an essential element in high-tech products and the metal of choice for those with a discerning eye for jewellery. There has recently been a big increase in the desire for platinum jewellery in China and it is a traditionally popular seller in Japan, where it is still strongly sought after despite a tough economy. There has also been growth in the United States, where platinum jewellery has climbed to take 40% of the bridal jewellery sector in the past few years on the back of strong marketing. Associate Professor Candace Lang of UCT's mechanical engineering department explains that more than half of the world's consumption of platinum is in jewellery but, although South Africa is the largest provider of the metal, the country produces only a tiny percentage of the world's platinum jewellery. "We export most of our platinum in its purest form and not as jewellery or in the platinum alloy form," says Lang. In addition, platinum is not the metal of choice for local jewellers because it is reputed to be difficult to work with and scratches easily. However, Lang and PhD student Miemie Nzula are developing a series of platinum alloys that have a "higher hardness and scratch resistance" than the normally used alloys. The work, which is part of the department's Centre for Materials Engineering, is breaking new ground because relatively little research on the physical metallurgy of platinum is carried out elsewhere in the world. Pure platinum is readily workable and the addition of other elements is commonly used to increase strength and hardness. Platinum jewellery alloys do not lend themselves to conventional heat treatment hardening techniques. "We have identified platinum alloys that can be easily hardened with appropriate alloy additions and heat treatments," says Lang. Lang cannot say more about the process or the alloys used as both are subject to patent law. "We are working to get the optimum platinum alloy for jewellery purposes, taking a physical metallurgy approach, by understanding what hardens these alloys and optimising this." In a global context, the research will make South Africa's platinum more marketable internationally. "Hopefully we will also help grow the local jewellery market because we will have alloys that are more attractive to the consumer, as additional hardness improves the quality of the jewellery," Lang says. To meet the manufacturing needs of a growing market, Lang is collaborating with the Cape Technikon, which is developing furnaces specifically for platinum jewellery. Internationally made furnaces are exorbitantly priced and unsuitable for the needs of local jewellers. So the technikon has developed a miniature induction furnace. The collaboration is fruitful in creating training for future jobs in the jewellery manufacturing industry. The results of the work have been presented at the Microscopy Society of Southern Africa and, in recognition of her work, Nzula has been awarded the Sainsbury/ Linbury Trust Fellowship, which she has taken up at Oxford University. by Adele Baleta Copyright Mail & Guardian. Distributed by All Africa Global Media(AllAfrica.com) KEYWORD: South Africa Copyright © 2002, AllAfrica.com, all rights reserved. You may now print or save this document. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1997-2002, divine, inc. All rights reserved. Terms of Service. library.northernlight.com