The demand for platinum in medical technology is on its way to reaching a 320 000 oz high point this year amid growth being at a consistent 3% compound annual growth rate since 2013 and 4% more growth forecast for this year.

Last year medical demand for platinum represented 4% of total platinum demand and platinum is singled out in a recent communique of the World Platinum Investment Council as being the only material suitable for the electrodes required in the one-million pacemakers implanted each year.

According to advanced materials business Umicore, platinum is the precious metal of choice when it comes to medical technology, owing to its chemical inertness, corrosion resistance, biocompatibility, temperature and dimensional stability, and electrical conductivity.

This very distinctive metal, with which South Africa is overwhelmingly endowed, is one that does not cause toxic reactions, even in long-term human implants.

Moreover, Engineering News & Mining Weekly can report that the use of platinum is crucial because it is inert, conductive, and radiopaque.

In general, the demands placed on surfaces in medical technology are high – and with good reason – owing to their contribution to the successful outcome of medical procedures.

In this regard, high-quality coatings are essential, as the quality of plated surfaces is decisive for maintaining the properties and the performance of the end product.

The council reported Umicore as seeing increased interest in its platinum-based coating technology, which has been specially designed for medical applications.

The platinum-based coating technology is based on a strong acidic solution with a comparatively low sulphuric acid content, which makes it less aggressive towards the substrate to be coated and allows easier application on sensitive materials.

The properties of the platinum-based coating technology enable uniform layer distribution, even with complex geometries, which is found to be advantageous in the manufacture of miniaturised components.

They are also present in sensors for pH, glucose, oxygen, or electrocardiogram measurement, where coated, smooth, and non-porous surfaces improve signal quality.

In addition, high electrical conductivity and chemical inertness ensure reliable measurement results over extended periods.

In addition, platinum markers are used to enable the precise positioning of catheters or clot-retrieval devices under X-ray control, owing to platinum’s radiopacity. Its radiopacity is put to good use when performing delicate, life-saving procedures to treat patients with neurovascular disorders such as strokes or aneurysms, or when fitting stents to treat narrow or blocked arteries. Further, electrodes in ablation catheters benefit from the high conductivity and corrosion resistance of platinum coatings.