Pseudo palladium (RhAg) is a
binary alloy
Binary may refer to:
Science and technology Mathematics
* Binary number, a representation of numbers using only two digits (0 and 1)
* Binary function, a function that takes two arguments
* Binary operation, a mathematical operation that ta ...
consisting of equal parts of
rhodium
Rhodium is a chemical element with the symbol Rh and atomic number 45. It is a very rare, silvery-white, hard, corrosion-resistant transition metal. It is a noble metal and a member of the platinum group. It has only one naturally occurring i ...
(
atomic number
The atomic number or nuclear charge number (symbol ''Z'') of a chemical element is the charge number of an atomic nucleus. For ordinary nuclei, this is equal to the proton number (''n''p) or the number of protons found in the nucleus of every ...
45) and
silver
Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...
(atomic number 47) created using
nanotechnology to create a far more homogeneous mixture than might be possible using more conventional methods. This alloy exhibits properties of the intervening element
palladium
Palladium is a chemical element with the symbol Pd and atomic number 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1803 by the English chemist William Hyde Wollaston. He named it after the asteroid Pallas, which was itself na ...
(atomic number 46).
History
The production of this alloy was first reported by
Kyoto University Professor Hiroshi Kitagawa and his research team, October 27, 2010. To make the new alloy, the Kyoto team used nanotechnology to "nebulise" the rhodium and silver and gradually mixed them with heated alcohol, with the two metals mixed stably at the atomic level. The same team also produced alternatives to other kinds of rare metals.
Characteristics
The new alloy has similar properties to palladium, which is used as a catalyst to cleanse
exhaust gas
Exhaust gas or flue gas is emitted as a result of the combustion of fuels such as natural gas, gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, fuel oil, biodiesel blends, or coal. According to the type of engine, it is discharged into the atmosphere through an ...
and absorbs large quantities of hydrogen.
Rhodium, palladium and silver have 45, 46, and 47 electrons, respectively, numbers that determine their chemical characterizations.
"The orbits of the electrons in the rhodium and silver atoms probably got jumbled up and formed the same orbits as those of palladium," Kitagawa said.
Applications
The alloy has similar properties to palladium, which is used in cars' emission-reducing catalytic converters as well as in computers, mobile phones, flatscreen TVs, and dentistry instruments.
Hydrogen storage
Hydrogen storage can be accomplished by several existing methods of holding hydrogen for later use. These include mechanical approaches such as using high pressures and low temperatures, or employing chemical compounds that release H2 upon demand ...
is cited as one potential use, however, according to researchers, the pseudo palladium alloy has only one half of palladium's hydrogen storage capacity.
See also
*
NaK
References
{{Reflist
Palladium
Precious metal alloys
Silver compounds
Rhodium compounds