Uses & Applications

Applications and End-Uses for Rhodium

Rhodium (Rh) is a high-criticality platinum group metal with annual global production of approximately 25 tonnes. Rhodium is the rarest and most valuable of the platinum group metals, primarily used in three-way catalytic converters for gasoline vehicles where it reduces nitrogen oxide emissions. South Africa produces approximately 80% of global supply. Rhodium prices have historically been the most volatile of any precious metal due to its extremely thin market and lack of substitutes in autocatalysts.

Key Applications

The primary end-uses of Rhodium span multiple sectors. The following applications represent the most significant sources of global demand:

• Three-way catalytic converters - Key alternatives include No substitute in three-way catalysts. Rhodium is the only commercially viable element for reducing NOx in three-way catalysts for gasoline engines; no other PGM or material can replicate its NOx reduction performance
• Chemical process catalysts - Rhodium is valued in chemical process catalysts for its unique physical and chemical properties that are difficult to replicate with alternative materials.
• Glass manufacturing - Rhodium is valued in glass manufacturing for its unique physical and chemical properties that are difficult to replicate with alternative materials.
• Electrical contacts - Rhodium is valued in electrical contacts for its unique physical and chemical properties that are difficult to replicate with alternative materials.

Product Forms and Specifications

Rhodium is commercially available in 3 primary product forms, each serving different industrial requirements:

Demand Outlook

Rhodium appears on both the USGS Critical Minerals List and the EU Critical Raw Materials List, underscoring its strategic importance across Western economies. Growing demand from electrification, digitalization, and defense modernization is expected to place additional pressure on the Rhodium supply chain through the end of this decade.