Gold Miners ETF (GDX)

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Gold is playing these roles in extremely small particle sizes as tiny as two-billionths of a metre.

The precious metal is becoming increasingly active as a catalyst that oxidises CO, the highly toxic chemical that is released in fires and from car exhausts.

In doing so, it dispenses with its gold colour and takes on a purple hue.

Gold is seen as the most commercially relevant material for the low-temperature removal of CO and with the supply-side solved, observers believe that it is the demand side that needs more work.

In the field of health, Mintek is focusing on using gold nanoparticles for cancer therapeutics and obesity research.

“Gold nanoparticles can be used as a fat reducing agent,” Tshikhudo told Mining Weekly Online.

Mintek is currently able to produce gold catalysts in 65 kg batches, which amounts to a couple of tons a year, in shapes suitable for particular applications.

The research institution's gold catalysts, sold under the AUROlite trademark, are distributed by Strem Chemicals, of the US, a nanotechnology and inorganic specialist company.

Strem sells the gold catalysts to a wide range of researchers, which, in turn, increases the potential for finding even more industrial applications for gold.

Many publications are now making use of the AUROlite name as a recommended material, which is building Mintek’s reputation as a reliable supplier, Pattrick commented to Mining Weekly Online.

To date, Mintek has sold half a ton of this gold catalyst material to top global industrial developers of products that remove CO, including fire escape gas masks, mine refuge chambers and military vehicles.