Este metal precioso está a ter uma procura cada vez maior por parte da indústria automóvel e também é muito procurado para produtos de joalharia (a procura por parte dos chineses tem sido substancial e imune ao preço elevado do metal).
Quanto à indústria automóvel a sua principal aplicação é na produção de catalizadores onde a platina substituiu outro metal precioso - o palladium - que não permite a produção de catalizadores para motores diesel.
No entanto, fala-se agora na possibilidade de os construtores voltarem a utilizar o palladium (apenas nos catalizadores para automóveis a gasolina) uma vez que actualmente o diferencial entre o preço dos dois metais parece justificar uma nova mudança para o palladium.
Deixo aqui um artigo que nos fala precisamente desta possibilidade de substituição da platina pelo palladium.
Outra aplicação da platina na indústria automóvel tem a ver com uma tecnologia do futuro que são os automóveis movidos a Fuel-Cell. Este poderá ser um mercado muito prometedor, caso esta tecnologia venha a vingar no futuro.
LONDON, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Platinum prices should stay in touch with current 23-year peaks even though key consumers in the auto industry are turning to palladium to build the technology to clean up exhaust emissions, analysts said on Wednesday.
Car manufacturers are looking increasingly at the ratios of precious metals used in their anti-pollution systems, mindful of the premium platinum commands over palladium -- currently more than $500 an ounce.
Spot platinum was trading on Wednesday afternoon at $726.00/731.00 an ounce after touching a 23-year high of $730.00 earlier, while palladium was at $209.00/214.00.
In May General Motors (GM (GM)), the world's largest auto maker, said it was set to switch from platinum to palladium to make its catalytic converters, and analysts say that other firms are making similar adjustments.
"I've got absolutely no doubt that the car companies are desperately trying to use up as much palladium and as little platinum as they can get away with," HSBC Metals analyst Allan Williamson said.
He added, however, that he could not see moves towards palladium shifting either market in the short term because of the time it took to switch from one metal to the other and because vehicles powered by diesel could only use platinum.
Rainaldo O'Meara, market research manager for UK refiner Johnson Matthey (JMAT), said auto makers had more to consider than just the base price of the metal.
"It's a case of looking at whether or not the wider economics work as well," he said.
Analysts have speculated that the lead-time for a switch could be anything from six months to three or four years.
FUNDS
Societe Generale (SOGN) economist Stephen Briggs, said the impact of carmakers switching metals would not be seen until next year or possibly 2005, but he was bullish for platinum's medium-term outlook.
"Remember that this really only applies to petrol cars -- it doesn't apply to diesel, and that's another reason why the European's don't concern themselves quite as much because European cars are very heavily geared to diesel," he said.
Briggs said platinum seemed to have completed most of its bull run but retained a stable outlook as funds speculated in commodities and as Chinese jewellery demand underpinned the market.
"It (price rise) will inevitably come to an end...but we're not over yet. The platinum premium is possibly even more than I expected but on the other hand Chinese jewellery seems to survive these high price moves," he added.
He also pointed to producers after Friday's sharp surge higher on speculation that Anglo American Platinum (Angloplat) would not meet its expansion targets.
"If we do have any corrections I think they will be pretty brief," Williamson said.
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