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 other chemicals.
Three reasons Ruthenium stands out
- 1
Used in electronics and jewelry.
- 2
It is one of the rarest precious metals on Earth, far scarcer than gold or platinum.
- 3
It is being actively researched as a potential alternative to platinum in cancer-fighting drugs.
A hard metal from the platinum family
Ruthenium is a scarce, hard metal usually recovered while refining platinum ores. Minute additions can harden platinum and palladium, while ruthenium compounds catalyze useful chemical reactions. Its conductive oxides appear in electronic components, linking rare-metal refining to everyday circuitry.