People around the world are familiar with precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum, but in reality, there are a total of 8 types of metals that deserve the title of “precious” due to their rarity, luster, and practical applications. The remaining five precious metals on this list are palladium, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, and osmium.
The properties of these metals are often enhanced when they become alloys, where they are mixed with other metals or substances to create materials like white gold and sterling silver.
Scientists have created an unprecedented alloy in human history.
Currently, a group of researchers from Kyoto University has created a unique alloy unprecedented in human history by combining all eight precious metals into a single alloy.
This was an extremely challenging task, comparable to trying to mix water, oil, yogurt, Tabasco sauce, orange juice, vodka, maple syrup, grape Kool-Aid, and green tea into a uniform liquid. Some may mix together, but combining them all at once is impossible.
To create this unprecedented alloy, the researchers developed a solution carrying ions of all eight metals in equal amounts and introduced the solution into a reducing agent at a temperature of 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit). The reducing agent provided the necessary electrons for the different ions to bond, allowing the alloy to be successfully formed.
Of course, this is easier said than done and has been something humanity has dreamed of but could not achieve for the past 5,000 years since the beginning of the Bronze Age.
The results of the research are still not significant enough to be observed. The successful experiment yielded an amount of alloy that can only be measured in nanometers, equivalent to the scale of DNA fibers. However, with the technique they have developed, the research team believes they can mass-produce this alloy with appropriate funding.
The results of the research are noteworthy because, while the achievement of creating a new alloy is already impressive, it also holds potential for life-changing applications.
So far, platinum remains the most common catalyst for hydrogen fuel cells, but in 2020, this research team discovered that an alloy made from platinum and five other precious metals has double the performance.
However, the alloy made from all eight precious metals is even more effective. This result indicates a significant increase in catalytic activity in hydrogen fuel cells.
This performance was achieved with an alloy made from eight metals in equal amounts. By adjusting the relative quantities in different ways, an even more effective catalyst could be created to enhance the power supply capability for hydrogen fuel cells, making their widespread use a more practical alternative to current polluting fossil fuel sources.
