Sustainable development

Anglo Platinum and Johnson Matthey are finding ways to use palladium to keep fruit fresh

Most fruit and vegetables are affected by ethylene, a plant hormone that accelerates the ripening of fruit. If uncontrolled, this can lead to a reduction in the post-harvest lifetime of the fruit through premature ripening, disease and softening.

Ethylene is an odourless, colourless gas that is often produced by plants and released into the surrounding atmosphere. It can also be man-made. Ethylene control of the atmosphere in which fresh produce is stored can therefore have a big impact on controlling spoilage, quality and shelf life, which in turn helps reduce wastage of fresh produce.

Ethylene scavengers based on potassium permanganate (which can oxidise the ethylene to carbon dioxide and water) are available commercially but had limitations. In a collaborative project, Anglo Platinum and Johnson Matthey have discovered a novel ethylene scavenger technology based on palladium as a key active ingredient.

The technology is under development and has been named E+ (trademark pending).
Experiments that simulate the post-harvest storage conditions of avocados and bananas have demonstrated that E+ effectively removes ethylene at temperatures in the range 5 – 12°C. These findings were published in 2007 in an academic press.

It is anticipated that the fresh produce industry will discover the commercial use of E+ in extending the shelf life and quality of a range of fruit, flowers and vegetables. This would provide a significant new application for palladium.