Fast Facts

• Name: ruthenium

• Symbol: Ru

• Atomic Number: 44

• Atomic Weight: 101.07

• Group: 8B

• Group Name: Transition Metals

• Period in Periodic Table: 5

• Color at Room Temperature: Silvery white metallic

• Classification: Metallic

Uses

Ruthenium is one of the most effective hardeners for palladium and platinum. Ruthenium is alloyed with these metals to make electrical contacts for severe wear resistance.

History

Ruthenium was discovered by Karl Karlovich Klaus in 1844 in Russia. Ruthenium is from the Latin word Ruthenia meaning Russia. At room temperature Ruthenium is a solid, and looks like a shiny silvery metal.

Isolation

Ruthenium is usually found in ores mixed with other metals such as rhodium, palladium, silver, and gold. The extraction is complex because ruthenium is hard to find alone. It is found usually with other metals clumped together. During the process of extraction of ruthenium there are many by-products. These by-products are precious metals. These precious metals include palladium, rhodium, and platinum.

Fun Facts

Ruthenium does not tarnish at room temperature, but it oxidizes in air at about 800ºC, or 1472ºF. Ruthenium is not attacked by hot or cold acids or a mixture of nitric and hydraulic acids that dissolves gold and platinum. When potassium chlorate is added to Ruthenium it oxidizes explosively.

Ruthenium