Ruthenium (44)

What is ruthenium?
Ruthenium is the forty-forth element on the periodic table. It is a silvery, and shiny transition metal and was discovered on May 1808 by Jedrzej Sniadecki. The name "Ruthenium" originated from the "Ruthenia"; it is the Latin name of Russia. On the periodic table, it is on the eighth group (horizontal) and the fifth period (vertical).

What are ruthenium's properties?
It's state of matter in room temperature is solid. It is very heat-resistant with a melting point of 2333 degrees Celsius and a density of 12.1 grams per cubic centimeter. Its average atomic mass is 101.07.

What is ruthenium used for?
Some of its uses are in electrical contacts and chip resistors. It is also used to make ammonia and acetic acid by acting as a catalyst. Ruthenium oxide (RuO2) is used in the production of chlorine by coating the anodes of electrochemical cells. Certain compounds made with ruthenium are used to make solar cells; they make electricity through light. It is also used in alloys to with platinum and palladium in manufacturing electrical contacts. It is also used in the manufacturing of alloys along with other metals; such as nickel, molybdenum, tungsten, and cobalt. Unfortunately, it has no uses for the body and Ruthenium(IV) Oxide is poisonous.

What does ruthenium do to our bodies?
Ruthenium has poisonous properties and all compounds are considered dangerous. Luckily, ruthenium is also encountered rarely. Ruthenium-106 is involved in testing of nuclear weapons from 1945 by the US to 1980 by China.

Where does it come from?
It is found rarely and naturally. Ruthenium is also found in waste when refining nickel. It is known to be found in North America, South Africa, and South America; in minerals such as laurite, ruarsite, ruthenarsenite.

How was ruthenium discovered?
It was originally discovered by Jedrzej Sniadecki when while examining ores of platinum that originated from South America, he discovered a new metal and gave it the name "vestium". Although, when chemists from France attempted to try it, they did not find any "vestium", making Jedrzej assume that his discovery was false, making him discard his claim. In 1825, Gottfried Osann from the University of Tartu was examining platinum ore from the Ural Mountains and said they found three new elements; the elements were pluranium, polinium, and ruthenium. Only ruthenium was confirmed to be discovered by Karl Karlovich Klaus (Carl, Carl-ovich, Clouds without a d) in 1840 who collected, and purified the metal.

(Source: rsc.org and lenntech.com)