How to check platinum for authenticity in radio components and jewelry.

Today, platinum is considered one of the most expensive precious metals, the most attractive both in terms of investment and in terms of long-term investments.

In everyday life, this precious metal is most often found in jewelry, various types of catalysts and radio components.

With the rise in platinum prices, interest in this truly unique metal has increased to the maximum both from mining companies and from those who wish to make money on platinum by extracting it from old Soviet radio components or other devices.

At the same time, it can be extremely difficult to determine which metal is in a particular element of radio engineering, and therefore, it becomes necessary to find out how to quickly distinguish platinum at home.

How to determine platinum in radio components.

There are several proven ways to determine platinum without specialized equipment.

If it concerns the precious metal in radio components , then for miners of platinum from Soviet microcircuits, the method of determination using a solution of «royal vodka» will be very useful . For those who are engaged in this type of blending, the solution has probably already been familiar for a long time, and in this case it makes no sense to go into its characteristics or method of manufacture in more detail.

Royal vodka is a composition of chemical elements in which almost all metals are easily dissolved. However, when it comes to platinum, the precious metal does not dissolve in this solution. At the same time, it should be taken into account that cold «royal vodka» is taken as the basis, and if the experiment is carried out with a mixture heated to a boil, then acids can dissolve even such a valuable metal as platinum.

You can also test with liquid ammonia . When interacting with this nitrogen substance, the vast majority of metals common in electronics are covered with a dark, almost black coating. Platinum in this case does not react to ammonia.

How to identify platinum in jewelry or bullion.

If you have doubts about whether platinum is in front of you or silver, then you can determine the identity of the precious metal using a chicken egg test .

To do this, immerse the test item made of precious metal in the egg mass for several minutes (the egg should not be fresh, as it is capable of releasing hydrogen sulfide), then remove and inspect for the presence of a reaction. With silver, the reaction will be expressed in the form of darkening and a special darkish coating on the surface. Platinum will not react with hydrogen sulfide and will retain its original appearance.

You can also determine platinum using tincture of iodine. When interacting with this precious metal, iodine retains its dark color and acquires a higher saturation, depending on the sample of the material under study.

To determine the authenticity of platinum at home, you can also conduct an experiment with a battery and a concentrated solution of sodium chloride.

To do this, salt water is poured into a tin can, into which a product made of precious metal is immersed. One part of the platinum object is connected to that part of the battery where there is a sign (+), the other part of the battery with a sign (-) touches the can.

If the product is made of platinum, then after a few minutes it will be possible to observe a reaction in the form of a release of a characteristic odor (chlorine) .

If another metal is used , then a precipitate will form at the bottom of the container and the liquid will become more cloudy.

Only a specialist can reliably determine platinum . Therefore, if you want to be absolutely sure of the identity of the metal, it is best to contact a professional.

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