Palladium - ₄₆Pd: uses

The following uses for palladium are gathered from a number of sources as well as from anecdotal comments. I would be delighted to receive corrections as well as additional referenced uses.

• finely divided palladium is a good catalyst for hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactions
• alloyed for use in jewellery. White gold is an alloy of gold decolourised by the addition of palladium
• can be beaten into leaf as thin as 1/250000 inch
• dentistry (crowns)
• used in fine instruments such as watches and some surgical instruments
• used to make electrical contacts
• used to purify hydrogen gas

Palladium is perhaps a more affordable metal than platinum and gold. Palladium is one of the whitest metals available for jewelry. This is a palladium wedding ring supplied by Superior Wedding Rings. It is palladium PD950 (95% palladium 5% rhodium).