Entire Annual Report - Anglo American Platinum

● Toyota Motor Corporation and General Motors Corporation announcedearlier this year that they would jointly develop a fuel cell vehicle that willconvert gasoline to hydrogen via an onboard converter. Other automanufacturers, for instance DaimlerChrysler, have already developed a numberof prototype fuel cell vehicles in which hydrogen is generated from methanol.Most auto manufacturers are developing their technology to use eithermethanol or gasoline, as opposed to pure hydrogen, as the fuel supply gridfor the fuels is already established. Furthermore, hydrogen storage posesgreater challenges than does storage of gasoline and methanol.Demand for platinum for fuel cells, at present relatively small, is expected toPLATINUM’S MAJOR APPLICATIONS INTHE GLASS MARKET SECTORTV sets and computer monitorsLiquid crystal displays (LCDs) for personalcomputersGlass substrates for hard disksGlass fibre productionincrease substantially in the medium term for residential fuel cells and in thelonger term with the commercialisation of fuel cell vehicles.WORLD DEMAND FOR PLATINUM IN“OTHER APPLICATIONS”Other applicationsOther applications requiring platinum, although individually small, togetherconsume a significant amount of platinum each year, and in 2000 demand forthese purposes grew by 8% to reach an estimated 365 000 ounces. The largestcontributor to the increase in demand was non-catalytic automotive uses suchas oxygen sensors and spark plugs. The extended warranty period required by theemissions legislation of the USA has increased demand for longer life spark plugs.Platinum plays an important role in medical applications, such as guidewireswith coiled platinum tips used in locating blockages in arteries and aselectrodes in pacemakers. Platinum is also used in the production ofanti-cancer drugs such as Cisplatin and Carboplatin,the latter being employed inconjunction with Taxol totreat advanced cancers.A new anti-cancer drug,Oxaliplatin, has recentlybeen developed to treatprostate cancer. Platinumis also used in somegold alloys in dentistry.%Oxygen sensors 18Spark plugs 20Anti-cancer drugs 4Catheters and pacemakers 15Dental 16Pollution control 7Turbine blades 11Other 9Total 10041