What is the chemical symbol for palladium?

The chemical symbol for palladium is Pd and its atomic number is 46, meaning the nucleus in an atom of palladium contain 46 protons. It was discovered by William Hyde Wollaston in 1803, who named it after the asteroid Pallas .

It is considered a sister metal of platinum and is similar in many ways, although it is less dense and will melt at a lower temperature. As a noble metal, palladium is resistant to corrosion, making it an excellent store of wealth in the form of palladium bars.

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Like its sister metal platinum, palladium's main use is in reducing car emissions in catalytic converters. Furthermore it is used in jewellery, both in the form of palladium jewellery and in the formation of the gold allow known as white gold.

Click here to learn about the chemical properties of platinum.