The Elastic and Plastic Properties of the Platinum Metals

Among the papers given at a Conference on New Engineering Materials organised by the Process Engineering Group of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in Birmingham in October, was a contribution by Dr Darling on “Some Properties and Applications of the Platinum Metals and Rhenium”. This surveyed the physical and mechanical properties of the metals, their melting and working, and described certain of their alloys employed in industrial processes. The extract from this paper given here comprises a review of the more fundamental physical properties of the six platinum metals and of their interrelationships.