The platinum group metals, or PGMs, consist of platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium and osmium. They have similar physical and chemical properties and tend to occur, in varying proportions, together in the same geological deposit. The usefulness of PGMs is determined by their unique and specific shared chemical and physical properties.
The PGM elements of the periodic table
While certain of these properties are shared by other materials, it is the particular combination of their chemical and physical properties that make the PGMs so valuable in their end-markets. PGMs have high and specific catalytic activity, possess high thermal resistance, are chemically inert and biocompatible, as well as being hard but malleable for forming into shapes.
Platinum, palladium and rhodium are used in higher-volume industrial and medical applications, while iridium and ruthenium have niche high-technology applications.

The attractive properties of the PGMs makes them all the subject of intensive ongoing research and development into novel end-uses.
OUR 6E PGM
production basket
(Excluding 3E PGM
recycled ounces)
Source: Sibanye-Stillwater disclosure

Several of the fuel cell technologies make use of PGMs, principally platinum, ruthenium and iridium, to catalyse their processes.
Investment is an important driver of demand for PGMs, particularly platinum. Investment demand ranges from physical holdings of bullion bars and coins to complex investment vehicles, through exchange traded funds (ETFs) and the futures markets. Physical investments, along with global stocks, are treated as above-ground stocks that are not considered as an end-use as they could be either allocated or returned to the market, depending on price levels and investor strategy.
Learn more about each of the PGMs below:
Information above provided by SFA (Oxford)