What are the main uses for ruthenium?

Ruthenium oxide is used in the chemical industry to coat the anodes of electrochemical cells for chlorine production. Ruthenium is also used in catalysts for ammonia and acetic acid production. Ruthenium compounds can be used in solar cells, which turn light energy into electrical energy.

What is osmium mainly used for?

It is the densest of all the elements and is twice as dense as lead. Osmium has only a few uses. It is used to produce very hard alloys for fountain pen tips, instrument pivots, needles and electrical contacts. It is also used in the chemical industry as a catalyst.

What is osmium and iridium used for?

It has a very high density and melting point. Iridium is the most corrosion-resistant material known. It is used in special alloys and forms an alloy with osmium, which is used for pen tips and compass bearings. It was used in making the standard metre bar, which is an alloy of 90\% platinum and 10\% iridium.

What products are made from ruthenium?

Ruthenium is most often combined with platinum or palladium in alloys. Electrical contacts, devices for measuring very high and very low temperatures, and medical instruments are often made from ruthenium alloys. Some types of jewelry are also made from ruthenium, though it is very expensive.

Why is ruthenium used in jewelry?

Ruthenium Plating silver jewelry is used to protect it from oxidation and also make it more durable and protect it from scratches. A ruthenium plated finish is similar in appearance to black nickel plating but with a much harder finish.

Why is ruthenium a metal?

Ruthenium is a chemical element with the symbol Ru and atomic number 44. It is a rare transition metal belonging to the platinum group of the periodic table. Like the other metals of the platinum group, ruthenium is inert to most other chemicals….Ruthenium.

What metal is heaviest?

osmium
The Heaviest Metal. The heaviest metal is osmium, which has, bulk for bulk, nearly twice the weight of lead. The specific gravity of gold is about 19 1/4, while that of osmium is almost 22 1/2.

Is osmium used in ball point pens?

History and Uses: Osmium and iridium were discovered at the same time by the British chemist Smithson Tennant in 1803. Osmium alloys can be found in ball point pen tips, fountain pen tips, record player needles, electrical contacts and other devices where frictional wear must be minimized.

What are 3 uses for iridium?

Iridium’s primary use is a hardening agent for platinum. Other uses for iridium include fountain-pen nibs (alloyed with osmium), compass bearings, high-temperature crucibles and heavy-duty electrical contacts.

What is iridium used for today?

The main use of iridium is as a hardening agent for platinum alloys. With osmium, it forms an alloy that is used for tipping pens, and compass bearings. Iridium is used in making crucibles and other equipment that is used at high temperatures.

Is ruthenium good for jewelry?

A member of the platinum group of metals, this metal is not only rare it has some great properties for jewellery. Ruthenium is strong, extremely hard wearing and scratch resistant so it’s ideal for providing some striking finishes to silver jewellery.

What is ruthenium plating?

Ruthenium is an extremely hard shiny gray metal that is used as a premier alloy for palladium and platinum to make them more wear resistant. Used as a decorative alternative to black nickel, ruthenium plated surfaces can be modified from a light gray-white to medium-dark gray in color.

What are the main uses of osmium?

The main uses are in the chemical, electrochemical industries, in crucibles, spark plugs, various alloys, in fountain pen nibs, compass bearings and in certain porcelains etc. Osmium possesses a crustal abundance of around 1 part per billion. Again most of this element is derived from the by-product of nickel refining.

What are ruthenium and osmium?

Samples Containing Ruthenium and Osmium by Paul Gaines, Ph.D. Ruthenium (Ru) and Osmium (Os) are the first of the platinum group metals (PGMs –Ru, Os, Rh, Ir, Pd and Pt) to be addressed in this series. Both elements are very rare and are typically found in their elemental states or as sulfides.

Why do we treat iridium and osmium together?

Iridium, Ir, osmium, Os and ruthenium, Ru are among the rarest of the elements and thus they produce few minerals. Hence we treat them together. Iridium is one of least common metals with a crustal abundance of about 3 parts per trillion. Most of this metal is extracted from the by-product of nickel refining.

What is the oxidation state of ruthenium and osmium in CRM?

CRMs manufactured by Inorganic Ventures contain both ruthenium and osmium in the +4 oxidation state as a chloride complex. The ruthenium and osmium are prepared in an HCl matrix and are believed to exist as the RuCl 6-2 and the OsCl 6-2 complexes.