You're very right. So if you're looking for palladium coins to be worth money, the question is, which will come first: researchers find a way to replace platinum with palladium in catalytic converters, or catalytic converters become a thing of the past? I don't want to go too off topic here, but I think pure 100% gasoline automobiles will be a thing of the past by 2015. So, who knows? Anyone ever heard of any iridium coins being privately minted? I've never seen such a thing, but I bet they'd be very nice looking. My initial web search pulled up this page, and I don't think I've read anything funnier than the first paragraph: http://www.finishing.com/123/41.shtml :goofer:
The real question is, has there been ANY success replacing catalytic converters? No unless I am proven very wrong. And let's make this another point: if you think the future hydrogen powered car doesn't use any palladium -any scientist can daydream. It doesn't happen tomorrow.
Palladium metals are also used alot in dental. The reason? Palladium is a NOBLE metal which llike gold and platinum will not tarnish and oxidize. When alloyed with other metals, this alloy is very strong, has high melting temperatures and again, it will stay put (no tarnishing or oxidizing). Thinking about dental implants or crowns? Changes are your dentist will use a gold/palladium alloy. BTW...there are alloys with as little as 2% gold so the dentist can legally state he is using gold. If he says he is using gold, ask him/her, "How much gold?" The cost for a restoration with as little as 2% gold compared to one with at least 50% gold is about $10 to $15 more. Remember, we are not talking about large quantities for a single tooth here. Also the labor to fabricate these units is LESS because gold/platinum/palladium are EASIER to work with...hence lowering lab costs who make the restoration. [Dentists do NOT make teeth...their labs do!]. So if a doc is using a 2% gold alloy for teeth, it is because he is probably trying to charge you MORE for it by simply saying, "I do use gold." The main use for palladium is indeed catalytic converters, but after that you will find palladium in dental restorations and electronics too.
I don't care what Hubbert thinks. Fossil fuels will be irreplacible in many industrial applications as longs as anyone posting here is alive. Try running a farm tractor with nuclear fuel, wind, or solar cells. If the environmentalists and their political lackies manage to defer aggressive nuclear research and development for another 30 years the world will see a long period of declining agricultural and industrial productivity and the western world's standard of living will lower. Fossil fuels are relatively primative, and the world seems to be clinging to them. It will become increasingly more costly to use fossil fuels as they diminish in abundance. It's going to be nuclear power or diminished expectations. I suppose Somalia and Sudan will be largely uneffected.
Well quick dog, it seems fairly certain that geology will win out regardless of what people think, believe, desire, or do. Geology doesn't care about politics, or the environment, or the cost. Lets hope for the best.
Unfortunately, cost is a factor when you are mining. To transport raw materials from one remote area to another consumes a lot of fuel. Don't forget, when oil prices go up, prices of everything else goes up too. Aren't we a bit off topic by now?
First, there are people posting here who will live well into the next century. Second we are gaining effeciencies at an incredible pace. Add to that the simple increases in battery tech and you could eliminate most fossil fuel use. But on top of that you have hundreds (yes hundreds) of various new power sources coming on line from wave/tide power to solar to wind. Further there will be power sources the likes of which you and I could never imagine in development within the decade.
Does anybody think that palladium can reraise its value like is was about 4 years ago? Or will it be replaced before anything major happens?
Going from memory [a dangerous thing], I believe the price spiked because Russia had a very large drop in production and initially it was thought that it would not be easily replaced so the auto manufacturers started stockpiling it at any available price. But I think South Africa started exporting it to fill the void and the price collapsed.
