UKBullion.com blog

UK Bullion Merchant providing investors, small and large, with Gold and Silver Bars & Coins. What we offer: *Free Insured Delivery *Secure & Encrypted Online Card Payments *Protected and Professional Storage Options *VAT Free Silver with Secure Storage Abroad *Top Rated Buy Back Service *Scrap Jewellery Purchasing Service. We are one of the most trusted bullion merchants in the UK as rated on one of the worlds most well known and independent online review sites. Our aim is to provide the very best customer service we can. Buy Gold & Prosper #bgp

[ukbullion]

Uses of Precious Metals Series: Episode 14

Palladium in Hydrogen Purification & Storage

Hydrogen looks set to become an important part of the move away from petrochemicals for transportation in the form of fuel cells to produce electricity for vehicles. Palladium has one of the highest absorption capacities of any metal for hydrogen forming Palladium Hydrate. Through this process very high purity hydrogen is produced which has industrial applications and important safety implications.

Although it is far too expensive to use Palladium in commercial hydrogen storage on a large scale it is hoped that research into the property of hydrogen absorption will lead to the discovery of a viable and safe storage method for hydrogen.

Looking for the latest spot price of Palladium? Try our handy chart: https://www.ukbullion.com/live-chart/palladium/gbp

Thank You For Reading Our Uses of Precious Metals Series.

Missed previous episodes? Click here to see everything up-to-date.

[ukbullion]

Uses of Precious Metals Series: Episode 13

Palladium in Electronics

As with the other precious metals that we sell, Palladium finds a use in electronic devices. The same properties of conductivity and resistance to corrosion apply to Palladium as with all noble metals. Palladium is used in the manufacture of ceramic capacitors as an electrode.

Check Back Next Week For Episode 14

Missed previous episodes? Click here to see everything up-to-date.

[ukbullion]

Uses of Precious Metals Series: Episode 12

Uses of Palladium

Palladium is a Platinum group metal on the periodic table and shares many of the features of Platinum. It is atomic number 46 and has a lustrous silver white appearance. Palladium was discovered in 1803 by William Wollaston and was named after the asteroid Pallas which was only the second asteroid to be discovered by astronomers and had been discovered the previous year.

Another rare metal the most extensive deposits are found in the Transvaal basin in South Africa with other notable deposits present in Canada, the USA and Russia. Due to the limited production of palladium a significant percentage of the metal is recovered and recycled for reuse.

Check Back Next Week For Episode 13

Missed previous episodes? Click here to see everything up-to-date.

[ukbullion]

Uses of Precious Metals Series: Episode 11

Platinum in Magnets

When combined in an alloy with Cobalt, Platinum produces one of the strongest permanents magnets known to man. Permanent magnets have a number of industrial applications such as in alternators, generators and electric motors. Permanent magnets are also used in magnetic sorting applications to separate magnetic and non magnetic materials.

These magnets also find use in science being used to control particle behaviour in experiments and finally in the domestic arena can be found in high quality audio systems.

Check Back Next Week For Episode 12

Missed previous episodes? Click here to see everything up-to-date.

[ukbullion]

Uses of Precious Metals Series: Episode 10

Platinum in Catalytic Converters

Precious metals such as Platinum and Palladium find use as catalysts in chemical reactions. When exposed to the high temperatures found in exhaust gasses these metals become more reactive, however the exact chemical reactions taking place inside a catalytic converter are complex and simply put the catalysts encourage the conversion of harmful gases produced in combustion into less harmful gasses.

The fitting of catalytic converters to vehicles and other exhausts is required by environmental legislation. The metals used are unfortunately extremely rare and difficult to extract and therefore have a high production cost which leads to high retail costs on catalytic converters.

Check Back Next Week For Episode 11

Missed previous episodes? Click here to see everything up-to-date.

[ukbullion]

Uses of Precious Metals Series: Episode 9

Uses of Platinum

Platinum is the least reactive metal found on the periodic table and has a high resistance to corrosion even whilst subjected to high temperatures. It is number 78 and has a silvery white appearance. 

Platinum is so un-reactive that unlike the majority of the world’s mineral wealth it is found chemically un-combined in a state known as native platinum. It has been known about in some way or another since at least the 16th century where native South Americans found it in the alluvial deposits left by rivers and used it to craft artefacts. The first European records of platinum come from the 18th century when reports coming from South America were finally investigated.

Today the vast majority of the world supply of Platinum comes from South African mines however this only amounts to a few hundred tonnes of the metal each year and when coupled with the many uses of platinum combine to make it a high value commodity.

Our live chart helps you keep up to date with the price of Platinum: https://www.ukbullion.com/live-chart/platinum/gbp

Check Back Next Week For Episode 10

Missed previous episodes? Click here to see everything up-to-date.

[ukbullion]

Uses of Precious Metals Series: Episode 8

Silver In Solar Panels

As the world searches for more sustainable ways to meet the ever increasing energy demand from the growing population solar panels are often advocated as a way to harness the plentiful resource of the Sun, modern panels can be effective not just for generating electricity but for heating water and with recent advances are a viable means of power even in countries like the UK that do not experience year round bright sunshine.

What many people may not know however is that silver plays an important part in the manufacture and operation of solar panels. In the form of a silver paste which is incorporated into the electronics and circuitry it increases the efficiency of the panels which naturally leads to a more sustainable solution in the long term and opens more potential applications for the use of solar panels.

Check Back Next Week For Episode 9

Missed previous episodes? Click here to see everything up-to-date.

[ukbullion]

Still looking for a #ValentinesDay gift? Sat Guarantee Available #ukbullion http://ow.ly/YdFL7 #share http://ift.tt/1SjHfEF

[ukbullion]

Uses of Precious Metals Series: Episode 7

Silver In Mirrors

Before the reliable production  of glass, mirrors were made by polishing sheet metal to a fine finish, the properties of the metal that is easily hammered to a flat finish make it ideal for such applications however the poor quality of the reflective surface obtained left much to be desired.

With the advent of glass production in the region of North Africa and ancient Egypt around the year 3000 BCE attention turned to adding a finish to the glass mainly for decorative purposes.  It took almost until the 16th century for the process of adding coating to the glass to be perfected and in the 16th century European glass mirrors were first coated with a mixture of tin and mercury to create a reflective finish. It took until the 19th century for the process of silver coating to be applied to glass mirrors.

Today many household mirrors are coated using silver however despite having the greatest surface reflectivity aluminium coatings are used for precision instruments such as telescopes as they reflect a greater portion of the light spectrum enabling more information to be collected for the time used.

Check Back Next Week For Episode 8

Missed previous episodes? Click here to see everything up-to-date.

[ukbullion]

Need more info about #Gold #Investment? Visit our #Learning Centre http://ow.ly/XTCFt or call us on 08000903256 http://ift.tt/1nNgDiU

[ukbullion]

Uses of Precious Metals Series: Episode 6

Uses of Silver

Silver is another of the more recognisable precious metals and has a history of use to rival that of gold. Usage of silver spans many different industries and provides a wide array of solutions in fields such as photography, medicine, modern technology, automotive and clothing to name just a few.

Silver, with atomic number 47 on the periodic table, is a lustrous white metal with a very long history. Silver smelting artefacts have been discovered by archaeologists dating back to 4000 BCE.

Silver, like gold has a large application in jewellery and currency. It is relatively more abundant than the other precious metals and this is reflected in its lower value. Silver is also used in a variety of processes and can be made into a paste, converted into a salt solution and alloyed with other metals to name but a few of its versatile applications.

See the latest silver price: https://www.ukbullion.com/live-chart/silver/gbp

Check Back Next Week For Episode 7

Missed previous episodes? Click here to see everything up-to-date.

[ukbullion]

#ChineseNewYear 2016 draws near. Give the gift of #investment #gold http://buff.ly/1Pwq00v #bgp #ukbullion #CNY16

[ukbullion]

via UKBullion

[ukbullion]

via UKBullion

[ukbullion]

via UKBullion

[ukbullion]

via UKBullion

[ukbullion]

via UKBullion