Ruthenium

44 101.1

Ruthenium

Our Products Product Characteristics Application Areas Historical Background

Ruthenium RuA-0,1,2
Producer	Principal applications	Product Form	Packaging
Krastsvetmet	Electronics industry Еlectrochemical industry Chemical industry	Powder	Description: Plastic containers KT-2 Containers size: 301×241×130 mm

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, %
Element	State standard 12343-79 for RuA-0	State standard 12343-79 for RuA-1	State standard 12343-79 for RuA-2
Ru min	99.97	99.95	99.90
Au	0.002	0.002	0.002
Fe	0.003	0.010	0.020
Pb	0.003	0.005	0.010
Ba	0.002	0.005	0.005
Si	0.003	0.005	0.010
Al	0.002	0.005	0.005
Total	0.03	0.05	0.1

Physical and chemical characteristics
Latin name	Ruthenium (Ru)
Group in Mendeleev’s periodic table	VIII
Atomic number	44
Atomic weight	101.07
Density	12.37 g/sm³
Melting point	t 2,250 °С
Description	Metal of platinum group. Represents porous, brilliant angular slices.

Electronics
Alloyed with platinum, ruthenium significantly increases wear resistance of electrical contacts for weak current, which are very vulnerable: oxide films on their surface can disrupt the operation of the entire system, so they are made of palladium or a silver-palladium alloy and 1–5% of ruthenium is added to improve mechanical strength. In the same way, sliding contacts are made, which should be able to resist abrasion well. Contacts for electrical and radio equipment are also made of ruthenium. Thermocouples made of iridium-ruthenium alloy help to measure extremely high temperatures.

Ruthenium as a catalyst
The catalytic properties of ruthenium are selective, and chemists use them to synthesise various organic and inorganic substances. Ruthenium catalysts are employed in the reaction to obtain glycerine and other polyhydric alcohols from cellulose by hydrogenation, and also in water purification devices of space vehicles. Ruthenium boosts the catalytic activity of platinum: this metal and its alloys are used in heterogeneous catalysis. Ruthenium is used to synthesise hydrogen cyanide from ammonia and methane in order to obtain saturated hydrocarbons from hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

Chemical industry
The ability of ruthenium to absorb nonmetals is used in the graphene production technology. On the ruthenium substrate, modified carbon is grown. The ability of metallic ruthenium to adsorb and pass hydrogen is used to extract hydrogen from a mixture of gases and to produce ultra-pure hydrogen. A mixture of ruthenium dioxide and ruthenium tetroxide enables forensic scientists to identify unclear fingerprints. Some ruthenium compounds are used as dyes, oxidants, and have fluorescent properties.

Metallurgy
In non-ferrous metallurgy, ruthenium is a valuable alloying agent: in small concentrations, it multiplies the strength of products. Turbine blades of jet engines, high-temperature rocket parts, and fuel equipment of aircraft contain ruthenium. The ruthenium-platinum alloy is a material used to manufacture fuel cells of satellites.

Medicine
In histology, an inorganic dye known as ruthenium red is widely used. It is indispensable in anatomical studies for contrast imaging (the solution stains pectic substances and some tissues pink and red) when studied under a microscope. Some ruthenium compounds feature biological activity and are used to combat tuberculosis, cancers and skin diseases.

Jewellery
As a jewellery metal, ruthenium strengthens alloys and makes expensive jewellery much stronger. Treatment with ruthenium covers products with a beautiful graphite-coloured film or paints them completely black. Along with rhodium, this metal is also used to make black gold jewellery, which is popular with lovers of chic styles.

Ruthenium is open by Kazan professor Klaus, which in 1844 has found in the rests of the Ural platinum ore a new element which has named ruthenium (from Latin Ruthenia — Russia). Klaus has received ruthenium in the pure state, has studied its chemical properties, has determined atomic weight and has specified similarity between triads ruthenium — rhodium — palladium and osmium — iridium — platinum.

Safety Data sheet

Safety Data sheet PDF, 0.1 MB

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