What is rhodium used for

Although rhodium-plated pieces of jewelry are easy to find, they contain extremely small amounts of the metal, and are not worth investing in. And as we noted above, investing in rhodium bullion is an uncertain investment strategy. On the other hand, it seems unlikely that the price of rhodium will plummet, so rhodium bullion could at least be a secure place to invest some money long-term.

As we start , catalytic converters still represent the most viable way to invest in rhodium scrap. But even catalytic converters contain only small amounts of rhodium. They also contain palladium and platinum. But cat converters contain varying amounts of rhodium. How much? If you have or more of them, we will be happy to test them for you and extract the rhodium, palladium and platinum they contain. Even though electric cars are gaining ground in the marketplace, catalytic converters are not going to disappear anytime soon.

We can also test and process the following kinds of rhodium-bearing scrap. Just bear in mind that these items are not always easy to find:. Platinum-rhodium alloy wire, sheet, rods, foil, tubes, and mesh. Just bear in mind that it is difficult to generate a lot of income by investing in rhodium. Even though it is extremely valuable, it is found in very small quantities in catalytic converters and other forms of rhodium scrap. There is no such thing as a primary rhodium mine, and the major producers are all located in South Africa.

Due to the very deep nature of aging mines in South Africa that produce by-product rhodium, the metal supply has been largely stagnant in recent years. With platinum in oversupply and depressed in price since , the South African mining companies face a conundrum: if these companies choose to mine more platinum to take advantage of the by-product rhodium, there is risk of oversupplying the platinum market and depressing prices further.

Additional issues that plague the mining sector in South Africa include:. Considering that emissions legislation globally is tightening, does all of this mean that rhodium prices will keep rising?

While rhodium is superior at what it does and loadings of the metal will always be present in auto-catalysts, it can be partially substituted with higher loadings of palladium. With considerable palladium supply coming from Russia and North America, palladium is more diversified than that of its rarer sister metal, rhodium, and therefore easier for auto-catalyst manufacturers to procure. Stephen Forrest, the co-founder of a leading PGM research firm SFA Oxford bought by the South African mining company Sibanye Stillwater in late , was quoted saying he believed that semi-fabricators would start to substitute rhodium in auto-catalysts with palladium.

However, if or until such substitution is possible global palladium supply is also in deficit relative to demand , there is likely to be more upside for rhodium prices to reach new highs in the coming years. What Is Rhodium Used for? Where Is Rhodium Found? Share this post Facebook Twitter LinkedIn. Related posts. Get My Free Resources Today! Sign up now to gain access to incredible information to help you make the best financial decisions when it comes to diversifying with the power and performance of precious metals.