Extraction
Usually platinum mining is
underground
although there
are some open open-pit
mining. This stage is very
difficult.
Miners bore holes
with drils and
blast them with
explosives. After
the ore
is removed and transported
to
surface. Once on
surface it is
grinded into
rock particles. It is than
mixed with liquid to form a
solution.
Concentration
The solution once dried is then smelted in a frunace at optimum temperatures. Then the
unwanted
metals are seperated from wanted metals -- Platinum.
Refining
Withing the ore metals such as nickel, copper, cobalt etc. are sperated. This is done through
standard electorlytic methods. The left overs are concentrated and obtained.
The final stage
of platinum production need purification. To accomplish this task,
distillation and ion-exchange
techniques are used. Platinum is the last to be extracted
after gold and palladium.
After extracting Platinum, the metal is supplied in countries. If there supplying, there must
be demand for the product aswell.
In the two diagrams below, this relationship is shown:
