Palladium (Pd)

Palladium is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston.

Core Principles & Analysis

• William Hyde Wollaston discovered palladium in 1803 and named it after the recently found asteroid Pallas.
• The metal can absorb up to about 900 times its own volume of hydrogen gas at room temperature.
• Palladium is essential in catalytic converters and in the cross-coupling catalysts recognized by the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Specifications & Metrics

• NUM: 46
• SYMBOL: Pd
• CATEGORY: Transition Metal