Platinum Group Metals in Glass Making An overview of the role of the pgms in the glass industry

The platinum group metals (pgms) are characterised by their high melting points and resistance to corrosion. The glass industry most commonly uses platinum, platinum-rhodium alloys and, recently, iridium. These protect a variety of components and ceramic substrates used in glass manufacture from erosion by molten glass, including thermocouples, furnace and forehearth parts. This protection takes the form of a fabricated part or a coating applied to a substrate. Glass manufacturers use these pgm products to get financial benefits, such as increased output, reduced downtime, extended equipment life, shape retention of ceramic parts and fewer defects in the end product. Another important advantage is that pgms are recyclable: as with glass, precious metals can be recycled, melted and reused indefinitely. In addition to these advantages, a choice of pgm-based technologies is available to the industry and this flexibility ensures that both protection and metal use can be optimised.