A rare metal belonging to the platinum group. It is ductile and malleable and harder than platinum. It is highly expensive as 10 to 15 tonnes of ore are required to produce just 31 grams of platinum and it cannot be easily substituted. It is used in electronics, as a catalyst, in fuel cells and in dental and other alloys. Most of the platinum in the world is mined in the United States, Russia, South Africa and Canada.