|
 Ruthenium is used in Arc welding. |
Properties |
|---|
| Symbol | Name | Atomic Number | Atomic Weight | Group Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ru | Ruthenium | 44 | 101.07 | 8 |
Description
Standard State: solid at 298 K
Color: Silvery white
Berzelius and Osann in 1827 examined the residues left after dissolving crude platinum from the Ural Mountains in aqua regia. While Berzelius found no unusual metals, Osann thought he found three new metals one of which he named ruthenium. In 1844 Klaus recognized as the discoverer, showed that Osann's ruthenium oxide was very impure and that it contained a new metal. Klaus obtained 6g of ruthenium from the portion of crude platinum that is insoluble in aqua regia. The metal is isolated commercially by a complex chemical process, the final stage of which is the hydrogen reduction of ammonium ruthenium chloride, which yields a powder. The powder is consolidated by powder metallurgy techniques or by argon-arc welding.