Overview

Palladium is one of the six platinum group metals (PGMs), consisting of: platinum, palladium, osmium, ruthenium, iridium and rhodium. These metals are distinguished by their superior conductivity and ductility, resistance to oxidation and corrosion, their strength and durability, strong catalytic properties and high melting points. These unique properties have been the reason for PGM's being called the designated "noble metals" on the periodic table of elements. The largest PGM deposits are found primarily in South Africa and Russia, with smaller amounts available from North America. South Africa is the primary producer of platinum and followed by its by-product of palladium, whereas in Russia, palladium is a by-product of nickel.

Palladium is used in a variety of industries due to its unique properties. In 2005, the automobile industry accounted for 49% of palladium demand, followed by jewellery (19%), electronics (13%) and dentistry (11%).  The largest and fastest growing application is in the production of jewellery, which rose almost six-fold between 2003 and 2005 to reach a total of 1,430,000 ounces.  The majority of this increase in the jewellery sector is due to the development of pure palladium jewellery lines in China. The electronics industry uses palladium in the production of components for personal computers, cellular telephones, fax machines and other electronically controlled devices.

The information in this section is sourced primarily from Johnson Matthey's publicly available reports, Platinum 2005, except where otherwise stated. Additional information about Palladium and Platinum 2005 is available on the JM Platinum Today website at www.platinum.matthey.com. All financial information is stated in Canadian dollars except where noted otherwise.

Current Palladium Prices

24 hour $US Dollar price per ounce.

8 hour (New York) $US Dollar price per ounce.