There are various characteristics of the Platinum that makes it unique metal. It is a pure metal that is silvery-white in appearance. It is not only lustrous, but also ductile, and malleable. It is not possible to oxidize it at any temperature, even though it is corroded by sulfur, caustic alkalis, halogens, and cyanides. Platinum is also not soluble in hydrochloric as well as nitric acid. However, it dissolves well in aqua regia for producing chloroplatinic acid.
Platinum is resistant to wear and tarnish, therefore it is well suited for producing the excellent jewellery. It offers stable electrical properties, excellent resistance to corrosion and high temperatures. Most of its characteristics are widely used all over the industries in varying kinds of applications. Platinum occurs in nature in form of six isotopes such as 190Pt, 192Pt, 195Pt, 194Pt, 196Pt, and 198Pt. The 195Pt is the most abundant isotope that comprises of 33.83% of all platinum.
Precautions
There are some precautions that need to be taken while working with platinum as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The short-term exposure to platinum salts may lead to irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat while the long-term exposure results in both respiratory and skin allergies. Some platinum complexes show good anti-tumor activity and hence used in chemotherapy against some tumors. The Cisplatin is effective specifically against testicular cancer with impressive cure rate improvement from 10% to 85%, but it does have significant side effects. Some of the dangerous effect of using Cisplatin is that it causes irreversible kidney damage and deafness.
Platinum is widely used as a catalyst in the preparation of the silicone rubber and gel parts of various types of medical implants such as breast implants, artificial lumbar discs, joint replacement prosthetics, and vascular access ports. There is the possibility of platinum entering the body and leads to severe adverse effects, however no such results have been reported.
