Platinum and Palladium

Palladium just went over $1,600 recently and Platinum is slumming around at $875. Both are used for catalytic converters. Wouldn't the car people start using Platinum again making it a good time to buy right now?

 

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I just ordered a 1/10 oz platinum Brittania and a gold 2.5 peso. Both are going in my 1/10th oz Eagle tube.

 

The retooling is very expensive, so switching back fourth doesnt make sense
When it does you can bet they will be on top of it !!

 

I posted some automotive articles about that.
The retooling cost is the problem and the efficiency of the metal vs quantity used too.
https://www.autonews.com/article/20...tch-to-platinum-even-as-palladium-price-soars

 

Thanks Claw, if I am reading that correctly it would take 18 months to reconvert to platinum?

 

The time lag isn't changing the wash coat on the cat from Pd to Pt. Companies like Engelhard have those formulas on the shelf and can start up quickly. The delay is in getting the change approved for an automotive platform. Testing, data collection, submitting substantiation, etc

 

Yes by that time the prices will have reverted backwards !!

 

I did not know this. I did a stint as a mechanic when I left the army back in the early 1980’s. Fellow I worked for had a small mountain of catalytic converters. If we junked a car my job was to cut the converter out and add it to his pile. Would his intent have been to try to reclaim the few grams of precious metals out of these things?

 

https://catalyticcontrol.rockawayrecycling.com/catalytic-converter-scrap-prices/

of course in today's prices ... example:


https://iscrapapp.com/blog/how-scrap-catalytic-converter-prices-are-determined/

1. Platinum – Platinum being used tends to be the best metal for overall performance in the catalytic converter field. Platinum can be used a metal that helps to negate the fumes and pollution coming from the car’s engine and before it comes to exhaust to trap the bad particles, and through different ions, it will negate the negative effect on the environment.
2. Palladium – Generally more expensive to use then Platinum, so it tends to be a higher-end luxury item for catalytic converters.
3. Rhodium – Used a reduction component to help eliminate the fumes and then paired with palladium to help eliminate more of the toxins.
4. Ceramic or Metal Foil – This what you see and is actually under the precious metals. The honeycomb type of pattern that you see throughout the catalytic converters is meant to have all of those openings and surface space in order to have more and more of the exhausts pass over it and capture the harmful toxins.
5. Metal Shield – These are generally steel on the outside, but can often be found as a magnetic stainless steel or even a regular 303/304 stainless steel case.

 

I was in the A/C business for 30 years, and copper was my scrap of choice
At about .75 cents a pound it added up fast had 40 to 50 buckets per month
and those buckets were heavy...LOL

 

I spent 8 years making the ceramic substrates for automotive catalytic convertors. It was a technically demanding process, so it's very painful when I think about them being broken out of the exhaust system and crushed.

 

like anything else, out with the old in with the new...

 

Bman, keep an eye on them regularly. They go in cycles and they take turns. Look a little into the history there and you may find some interesting things!

 

I'm about to pull an all nighter on the two metals. I want to buy an oz of Platinum tomorrow at my LCS unless what I learn tonight deters me.

 

Solid buy

 

I'm researching and finding Premiums all over the place. On Platinum Eagle LCS is buy at +$50 and Sell at +$110; Provident Eagle is buy at +??? and Sell at +$80. I am considering my LCS because if I buy there they know me well and the buy back would go better.

 

Premiums went way up at end of last year and that’s held me off on a lot lately. Sounds like the LCS has better deals. I know mine usually has better premiums on average too.

 

I think the buy premium is 13% over so it's kind of crappy

 

As the premium is so high, it looks like wait for the price to drop enough to offset that. Otherwise, I will wait till the premium comes down. It could go a little bit lower

 

Read this:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fo...high-priced-palladium-in-exhaust-systems/amp/