Osmium Facts
Osmium Facts
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| Interesting Osmium Facts: |
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| Smithson Tennant and William Hyde Wollaston discovered osmium in 1803. |
| The discovery of osmium is linked to the discovery of platinum, since osmium is the black residue left over after platinum is dissolved in aqua regia. |
| Mid-eighteenth century scientists believed the black residue to be graphite, but it was proven to be a new element. |
| Tennant also discovered iridium in the residue with the osmium, and notified the British Royal Society of the discovery on June 21, 1804. |
| Osmium is the rarest of all stable elements. |
| It is only found at 0.05 parts per billion in the Earth's crust. |
| Osmium occurs naturally as either a free element or in naturally occurring alloys. |
| Just like the other members of the platinum metals group, osmium is found naturally alloyed with both nickel and copper. |
| Osmium is found in a few naturally occurring geological formations, including impact craters. |
| Osmium readily forms osmium tetroxide, which is highly toxic through inhalation, skin contact, or ingestion. |
| In its powdered form, osmium is sold commercially for about $1300US per kilogram. |
| Like many other elements, osmium's main source for extraction is as a byproduct of the nickel and copper refining process. |
| The process involves dissolving the leftover product in acid, then using distillation to extract the osmium from the other platinum metals. |
| The procedure is very similar to the one the scientists originally used to discover osmium in the early nineteenth century. |
| Osmium is rarely used in its pure form, given that it can be highly toxic and volatile. |
| It is alloyed with other metals for commercial uses. |
| The alloys of osmium and other metals are used for products that require a high tolerance for wearing and corrosion. |
| Osmium has also played a key role in various aspects of lightbulb technology over the years. |
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