Ruthenium

Ruthenium is a chemical element with 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 chemicals. The Russian scientist Karl Ernst Claus discovered the element in 1844 and named it after Ruthenia, the Latin word for Rus'. Ruthenium usually occurs as a minor component of platinum ores and its annual production is only about 12 tonnes worldwide. Most ruthenium is used for wear-resistant electrical contacts and the production of thick-film resistors. A minor application of ruthenium is its use in some platinum alloys.


 * Uses**
 * one of the most effective hardeners for platinum and palladium, and is alloyed with these metals to make electrical contacts for severe wear resistance
 * corrosion resistance of titanium is improved a hundred times by addition of 0.1% ruthenium
 * versatile catalyst. Hydrogen sulphide can be split catalytically by light using an aqueous suspension of CdS particles loaded with ruthenium dioxide. This may have application to removal of H2S from oil and in other industrial processes, catalysts
 * hardener for platinum and palladium, alloying for corrosion resistance


 * Date of Discovery:** 1844
 * Discoverer:** Karl Klaus
 * Name Origin:** From the Latin word //Ruthenia// (Russia)
 * Uses:** platinum alloys
 * Obtained From:** pentlandite, pyroxinite

Health effects of ruthenium
Ruthenium compounds are encountered relatively rarely by most people. All ruthenium compounds should be regarded as highly toxic and as carcinogenic. Compounds of ruthenium stain the skin very strongly. It seems that ingested ruthenium is retained strongly in bones. Ruthenium oxide, RuO4, is highly toxic and volatile, and to be avoided. Rhutenium 106 is one of the radionuclides involved in atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons, which began in 1945, with a US test, and ended in 1980 with a Chinese test. It is among the long-lived radionuclides that have produced and will continue to produce increased cancers risk for decades and centuries to come.

**Environmental effects of ruthenium**
Very few data are available on ruthenium impact on plants and estimates of its uptake have deducted levels of 5 ppb or less, although algae appear to concentrate it. No negative environmental effects have been reported.

Read more: __ [|http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/ru.htm#ixzz1uEbkrMVq] __

Discovery of Ruthenium
Ruthenium was discovered in 1827 in an impure form by Gottfried W. Osann in residues of crude platinum ores. Karl Klauss isolated the metal in 1844 from the impure oxide. The element's name comes from the Latin word 'Ruthenia' meaning Russia after Osann's homeland.
 * Symbol:** Ru **Atomic Number:** 44 **Atomic Mass:** 101.07 amu **Melting Point:** 2250.0 °C (2523.15 K, 4082.0 °F) **Boiling Point:** 3900.0 °C (4173.15 K, 7052.0 °F) **Number of Protons/Electrons:** 44 **Number of Neutrons:** 57 **Classification:** Transition Metal **Crystal Structure:** Hexagonal **Density @ 293 K:** 12.2 g/cm3 **Color:** silvery

Atomic Structure

 * [[image:http://www.chemicalelements.com/bohr/b0044.gif width="309" height="307"]] ||  || **Number of Energy Levels:** 5
 * First Energy Level:** **Second Energy Level:** **Third Energy Level:** **Fourth Energy Level:** **Fifth Energy Level:** ||

Isotopes

 * ** Isotope ** || ** Half Life ** ||
 * Ru-96 || Stable ||
 * Ru-97 || 2.89 days ||
 * Ru-98 || Stable ||
 * Ru-99 || Stable ||
 * Ru-100 || Stable ||
 * Ru-101 || Stable ||
 * Ru-102 || Stable ||
 * Ru-103 || 39.27 days ||
 * Ru-104 || Stable ||
 * Ru-105 || 4.44 hours ||
 * Ru-106 || 1.02 years ||

Facts

 * Date of Discovery:** 1844 **Discoverer:** Karl Klaus **Name Origin:** From the Latin word //Ruthenia// (Russia) **Uses:** platinum alloys **Obtained From:** pentlandite, pyroxinite