Pt
World Total Production (2009)
Even though it has six naturally occurring isotopes, platinum is one of the rarest elements in the Earth’s crust and has an average abundance of approximately 5 μg/ kg. It is the least reactive metal. It occurs in some nickel and copper ores along with some native deposits, mostly in South Africa, which accounts for 80% of the world production.
429,000 ton
RUSSIA CANADA
USA
Top 10 producer of platinum (2009)
T 1 SOUTH AFRICA
271,393
2 USA
116,485
3 RUSSIA
112,759
4 ZIBABWE
13,393
5 CANADA
13,340
6 COLOMBIA
929
7 AUSTRALIA
726
COLOMBIA
ZIBABWE AUSTRALIA SOUTH AFRICA
World total production of platinum (1941-2009)
1941 600000 500000
1950
Applications: 1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
- Jewellery - Elecronics industry - Chemical industrial - Investment
400000 300000 200000 100000 0
Source: British Geological Survey