ruteeni

Ruthenium is a chemical element with the symbol Ru and atomic number 44. It is a rare transition metal of the platinum group. Ruthenium was discovered in 1844 by Russian chemist Karl Ernst Claus. It is found in platinum ores and is commercially extracted from these ores. Ruthenium is a hard, brittle, silvery-white metal that does not tarnish in air at room temperature. It is highly resistant to corrosion and is insoluble in all acids.

Ruthenium has several industrial applications. It is used in alloys to increase hardness and corrosion resistance, particularly in platinum and palladium alloys. It is also used as a catalyst in various chemical reactions, such as in the production of acetic acid and in the hydrodesulfurization of petroleum. Ruthenium compounds are used in electronics, for example, in the production of resistors and in electroplating. In medicine, some ruthenium complexes are being investigated for their potential as anticancer drugs. Ruthenium isotopes, such as ruthenium-106, have applications in brachytherapy for treating certain types of cancer.

Ruthenium occurs in nature in a few mineral forms, primarily as an alloy with other platinum-group metals. Its abundance in the Earth's crust is estimated to be about 1 part per billion. The main sources of ruthenium are the mining of platinum and palladium ores, with significant production coming from Russia and South Africa. The metal is difficult to isolate due to its rarity and the complexity of separating it from other platinum-group metals.