Gold Palladium Foil

See more Gold products. Gold (atomic symbol: Au, atomic number: 79) is a Block D, Group 11, Period 6 element with an atomic weight of 196.966569. The number of electrons in each of Gold's shells is 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 1 and its electron configuration is [Xe]4f¹⁴² 5d¹⁰ 6s¹. The gold atom has a radius of 144 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 217 pm. Gold was first discovered by Early Man prior to 6000 B.C. In its elemental form, gold has a metallic yellow appearance. Gold is a soft metal and is usually alloyed to give it more strength. It is a good conductor of heat and electricity, and is unaffected by air and most reagents. It is one of the least reactive chemical elements. Gold is often found as a free element and with silver as a gold-silver alloy. Less commonly, it is found in minerals as gold compounds, usually with tellurium.

See more Palladium products. Palladium (atomic symbol: Pd, atomic number: 46) is a Block D, Group 10, Period 5 element with an atomic weight of 106.42. The number of electrons in each of palladium's shells is 2, 8, 18, 18 and its electron configuration is [Kr] 4d¹⁰. The palladium atom has a radius of 137 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 202 pm. In its elemental form, palladium has a silvery white appearance. Palladium is a member of the platinum group of metals (along with platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium). Palladium has the lowest melting point and is the least dense of the group. Palladium can be found as a free metal and alloyed with other platinum-group metals. Nickel-copper deposits are the main commercial source of palladium. Palladium was discovered and first isolated by William Hyde Wollaston in 1803. Its name is derived from the asteroid Pallas.