Pd

A precious metal element with the chemical symbol Pd. Palladium has good catalytic performance and corrosion resistance, making it effective as a catalyst in automotive exhaust purification to reduce harmful gas emissions. It is also used in the chemical industry for catalytic hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactions, as well as in manufacturing jewelry and electronic components.

1. Primary platinum group metal ores:
Primary platinum group metal ores are the most important and economically valuable sources of palladium. These ores are primarily composed of natural alloys or intermetallic compounds of platinum group metals, with major minerals including arsenopyrite, thiopyrite, and antimonypalladium ore. Palladium is often associated with platinum, rhodium, and iridium. These deposits are typically closely associated with basic to ultrabasic rock formations (such as the Bushveld Complex in South Africa and the Norilsk region in Russia). While palladium content is usually low (in the g/t range), the sheer size and specialized mining of these deposits make them a major pillar of global palladium production.

2. Copper-nickel sulfide ore:
Copper-nickel sulfide ores are the world's largest source of palladium, with palladium being recovered as an important byproduct. The ores are primarily composed of nickel pyrite, chalcopyrite, and pyrrhotite. Palladium is present in these sulfide minerals as extremely fine particles (such as palladium sulfide, palladium antimonide, and intermetallic compounds). Typical examples are the giant deposits of Norilsk-Tarnakh in Russia and Sudbury in Canada. While palladium content is typically in the g/t range, the total amount of palladium produced as a byproduct is considerable due to the extremely large scale of copper and nickel mining.