A metal can be referred to in several ways: as a chemical element, a metallic substance, or a metallic alloy (when composed of two or more elements). In all three forms, they exhibit distinct characteristics such as malleability, thermal and electrical conductivity, luster, and ductility.
Metals make up the majority of chemical elements, representing 70 of the 95 elements that occur naturally. Given their large number, they are classified into several groups: alkali metals, which react violently with water; alkaline earth metals, which are found in various ores and form alkaline solutions; and transition metals, which make up the majority and are located in the middle of the periodic table. They can also be classified as ferrous metals, alloys that contain iron and carbon, and non-ferrous metals, alloys that contain less than 1% iron.
In addition to these groups, metals can also be classified as heavy metals, which are highly reactive and bioaccumulative; precious metals, which are rare and have high economic value; and noble metals, which are low in reactivity, thus resisting corrosion and oxidation.
These last two groups often overlap, with some exceptions like Copper, which is a noble metal but not precious. The group of noble metals includes Gold (Au), Silver (Ag), Copper (Cu), Platinum (Pt), Palladium (Pd), Rhodium (Rh), Osmium (Os), Iridium (Ir), Ruthenium (Ru), among others. Among these, the most commercially used are Gold, Silver, Platinum, Palladium, and Rhodium, being utilized in various fields such as electronic components, catalysts, jewelry, surgical and laboratory materials, among other applications.
Some of these noble metals have been used for hundreds of years, such as gold and silver, which have been precious metals since antiquity. Nowadays, Rhodium has become the most precious metal in the world due to its use as a catalyst in automotive vehicles, reducing the production of polluting gases. As its demand has been increasing and its supply gradually decreasing, the value of Rhodium is quite volatile but significantly high. Stay tuned to our social media as posts will be coming out in the next few weeks, talking a bit more about some noble and precious metals like Gold, Silver, Platinum, Palladium, and Rhodium.
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