Isotope 187 osmium. Precious metal - osmium

Most of the population is aware that gold and platinum are the most expensive metals. The price of osmium per 1 gram, which belongs to the platinum group, is inferior in value to gold.

Why is osmium so expensive

About 2600 tons of gold and some amount of platinum are mined annually in the world. Moreover, according to statistics, every year the volume of production of precious metals increases by 1.5%. Meanwhile, only 600 kg of osmium is mined, this is due to the fact that it is very difficult to find in nature. And it does not occur in its pure form. And they are mined by piercing from platinum group metals. That is why one gram costs about 12-15 USD or 800-900 rubles for 2019. The extraction of osmium is associated with many difficulties. First, its content earth's crust negligible and to everything else he is scattered on the earth. The complexity of extraction and, as a result, high cost limit the use of osmium in industry and therefore it is used where the economic effect of the application exceeds the costs incurred for extraction and processing.

Osmium is found in meteorite fragments, which different times came to our planet. But most often it is mined in mines. It is not uncommon to find material such as iridium nearby. The extracted amount of osmium is really negligible, and secondary metal has to be used to meet the needs of various industries.

One of the major exporters of this metal is the Republic of Kazakhstan. According to unconfirmed information, the price of one gram mined in this country is about 10,000 US dollars. But these are just rumors, so the price of the metal per ounce is a trade secret. The size of the cost of the metal makes one think about the advisability of its mass use in industry, medicine and biology.

Place in the periodic table and main properties

The metal, denoted as Os, is located in cell number 76. The closest neighbors are rhenium and iridium. IN normal conditions the substance has a silvery-white color.

Osmium has a number of unique properties. For example, the density is 22.6 grams per cubic centimeter. In this regard, he surpassed iridium. The metal that is found in nature consists of several isotopes that are practically impossible to separate. The most commonly used isotope is 187.

The temperature at which osmium changes its state of aggregation and becomes liquid is 3,027 ºC. The material begins to boil when it reaches 5500 ºC. High density provided the metal with high brittleness.

Production and application features

Despite the high cost, osmium is not used to make jewelry. The reason for this is poor machinability. It is almost impossible to machine it. In addition, one must remember about refractoriness and fragility.

Among the isotopes of a rather rare metal, there is number 187. It is he who is used in construction space technology. In addition, it was not possible without him and nuclear weapon. They are used to create electronic equipment that is involved in the control of missile weapons. By the way, they are also used in the arrangement of nuclear waste storage facilities.

The use of osmium in various industries

As noted above, this is one of the few materials that have high density, for example, a bucket of water will be lighter than a half-liter bottle filled with this metal. Meanwhile, this property - hardness is practically not in demand, in contrast to its other property - hardness.

Osmium is used as an additive in the production of many alloys. Even a small addition of metal gives the alloys incredible wear resistance. An alloy with the addition of this material can last much longer than others. In addition, alloys with the addition of osmium have an increased mechanical strength and high resistance to corrosion. As a consequence of this property, osmium and alloys are used to reduce friction in various nodes. An alloy of osmium and iridium is used in the production of superhard alloys for various industries.

Due to the indicated properties, osmium is used in the manufacture of measuring equipment designed to carry out measurements with high accuracy.

By the way, osmium is used in the manufacture of automatic pens. This is why pens can write for years without wearing out.

Another property of a rare metal is that it is not magnetic. And this was the reason for the use in watch mechanisms and mechanical navigational instruments (compasses).

The metal is used as a catalyst in the production of ammonia and organic compounds. In addition, the production of catalysts with a methanol fuel cell is indispensable without it.

Not so long ago, an alloy of tungsten with osmium was used to produce filaments for incandescent lamps. This alloy is called osram.

Microscopy also did not do without a rare metal. It is used for the operation of electron microscopes.

In medicine, osmium and its oxides are used for surgical implants and cardiac pacemakers and for replacement of valves in the lungs. However, osmium tetroxide is a strong toxin and is practically not used in any industry.

In fact, pure osmium is rarely used in practice. Where more often its compounds are used, for example, oxides.

Storage features

Ready osmium is stored in powder form. Since in the form of crystals it does not melt and does not lend itself to any processing, it cannot even be branded. Radiation heating is used to obtain metal ingots. But there are methods for obtaining crystals from powder material, for example, crucible heating.

A bit of history

Osmium as an element was discovered at the beginning of the 20th century by English scientists. They conducted experiments on dissolving platinum in aqua regia. This is a mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acid, which is able to dissolve metals without residue.

During the experiments, a precipitate appeared, which was subjected to a thorough study. As a result of them, a mixture of osmium and iridium was found. By the way, similar work was carried out in France.

The dumbbells and barbells used by bodybuilders to pump up their muscles are made of steel. Made from lead - or better from - shells would lose significantly in volume. But it is even more accurate to use osmium for the production of weights: a kilogram of osmium is a small ball that fits easily in a clenched fist. A half-liter bottle with powdered osmium (it is in this form that the noble metal leaves the walls of the enrichment plant) weighs much more than a bucket of water.

That's just pouring from osmium weights the brave cannot be found: it is painfully refractory. And the cost of the metal is such that an athletic club would have to work for three hundred years to buy one osmium dumbbell ...

Osmium is not enough!

In nature, osmium occurs mainly in the form of a combination with iridium, which is part of either native platinum or platinum-palladium ore. Minerals considered raw materials for the extraction of osmium contain, on average, one thousandth of a percent of the heavy "relative" of platinum. For all the time of exploration, not a single osmium nugget was mined - even the smallest size.

The small amount and difficulty of obtaining osmium determines the height of its price. Half a century ago, osmium was valued at seven to eight times the price of gold. Speculation recent years led to absolutely insane offers: a gram of osmium was sold for both 10 thousand and 200 thousand dollars. Sold - but not sold: osmium does not find active use, although it is used in some places.

The discovery of osmium

W. Wollaston, who experimented with platinum ores, was close to the discovery of osmium. The Frenchmen Antoine de Fourcroix and Louis-Nicolas Vauquelin, inspired by his success, took up their own research and correctly assumed the existence of a new element, which evaporated in the form of black smoke during experiments.

Fourcroix and Vauquelin gave the substance the name "pten" - which means "volatile", and calmed down in anticipation of recognition. However, the English chemist Smithson Tennant divided "ptene" into two related metals, one of which, for the variety of colors of its compounds, called iridium, and the second - because of the irritating stink - osmium.

These important events in the year 1803, generous with discoveries.

Osmium properties

The melting and boiling points until recently were considered conditionally equal to 3000° and 5000°C: there were no means for full-scale verification of calculations. Only a few years ago it was possible to clarify the physical parameters of the metal. It turned out that it is better to cook osmium alloys on the surface of the Sun ...

interesting appearance osmium. Solidifying from the melt, osmium forms hard and brittle crystals, the silvery sheen of which is shaded by a grayish-blue (and even blue) tint. The external advantages of osmium could attract jewelers, however, the high chemical activity of the metal and the toxicity of its compounds exclude the possibility of using this platinoid in jewelry.

Application of osmium

Osmium catalysts are used in the hydrogenation of organic compounds, in the production of drugs, and in the synthesis of ammonia. True, the high cost of the metal makes industrialists look for affordable substitutes, and today osmium is less and less common in the chemical industry.

From solid and non-magnetic osmium, axles, supports and support sockets are made for measuring instruments high precision. And although ruby ​​supports are harder and cheaper than osmium ones, the resistance of the metal is sometimes preferred for instrumentation.

Osmium is dangerous and requires caution

It is almost impossible to avoid osmium oxidation if the metal comes into contact with atmospheric oxygen. Therefore, about any use of osmium in

Osmium is a chemical element with atomic number 76 in the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements of D. I. Mendeleev, denoted by the symbol Os (lat. Osmium).

Atomic number - 76

Atomic mass - 190.23

Density, kg/m³ - 22500

Melting point, °С - 3000

Heat capacity, kJ / (kg ° С) - 0.13

Electronegativity - 2.2

Covalent radius, Å - 1.26

1st ionization potential, ev - 8.70

The history of the discovery of osmium

In 1804, the famous English scientist William Wollaston, having rather intrigued the scientific world before this (more about this is described in the essay on palladium "The Joke of an English Chemist"), reported at a meeting of the Royal Society that, while analyzing raw (natural) platinum, he found in it previously unknown metals, which he named palladium and rhodium. Both were found in that part of the platinum that dissolved in aqua regia, but this interaction also left an insoluble residue. He, like a magnet, attracted many chemists, who rightly believed that some hitherto unknown element could be hidden in it.

Close to success were the French Collet-Descotil, Fourcroix and Vauquelin. They noticed more than once that when crude platinum was dissolved in aqua regia, black smoke was released, and when the insoluble residue was fused with caustic potash, compounds were formed that "did not mind" the dissolution.

Fourcroix and Vauquelin suggested that the desired element partially escapes in the form of smoke, and that part of it that fails to "evacuate" in this way offers the aggressor all possible resistance, not even wanting to dissolve in it. Scientists hurried to give the new element a name - "pten", which in Greek means "winged, flying."

But this name fluttered like a butterfly and sunk into oblivion, as Tennant soon managed to separate the "pten": in fact, it was a natural fusion of two different metals. The scientist called one of them iridium - for the variety of colors of salts, and the other - osmium, since its tetroxide, which was released when the product of fusion of osmiridium (as the former "pten" was later called) with alkali, was dissolved in acid or water, had an unpleasant, irritating smell , similar at the same time to the smells of chlorine and rotten radish. Later it turned out that the metal itself is capable of emitting a similar “aroma”, although it is weaker: finely ground osmium is gradually oxidized in air, turning into tetroxide.

Apparently, Tennant did not like this smell, and in his hearts he decided to perpetuate in the name of the element he discovered his most strong impression from the first date with him.

They are greeted by clothes, escorted by mind. And if the smell and color - tin-white with a grayish-blue tint - can be considered the "clothing" of osmium, then its characteristics as a chemical element and as a metal, according to this proverb, should be attributed to "mind".

So what can our hero boast of? First of all, as already mentioned, their noble origin. Take a look at the periodic table of elements: on the right side of it, the family of platinoids, consisting of two triads, holds itself apart. The upper triad includes light platinum metals - ruthenium, rhodium, palladium (everything in the world is relative: any representative of this trinity is more than one and a half times heavier than iron). The second triad brought together real heavyweight heroes - osmium, iridium and platinum.

Interestingly, for a long time, scientists adhered to the following order of increasing the atomic weights of these elements: platinum - iridium - osmium. But when D. I. Mendeleev created his periodic system, he had to carefully check, refine, and sometimes correct the atomic weights of many elements. It was not easy to do all this work alone, so Mendeleev involved other chemists in the work. So, when Yu.V. Lermontov, who was not only a relative of the great poet, but also a highly qualified chemist, the scientist asked her to clarify the atomic weights of platinum, iridium and osmium, since they caused him great doubt.

According to him, the least atomic weight should have been in osmium, and the largest - in platinum. A series of precise experiments conducted by Lermontova confirmed the correctness of the creator periodic law. Thus, the current arrangement of the elements in this triad was determined - everything fell into place.

Osmium has not been found in native form. It is found in polymetallic ores containing also platinum and palladium (copper-nickel sulfide and copper-molybdenum ores). The main minerals of osmium are natural alloys of osmium and iridium (nevyanskite and sysertskite) belonging to the class of solid solutions. Sometimes these minerals occur independently, but more often osmium iridium is a part of native platinum. The main deposits of osmic iridium are concentrated in Russia (Siberia, Urals), USA (Alaska, California), Columbia, Canada, countries South Africa. Osmium is also found in the form of compounds with sulfur and arsenic (erlichmanite, osmium laurite, osarsite). The content of osmium in ores, as a rule, does not exceed 1·10 −3%.

Together with other noble metals, it is found in iron meteorites.

In nature, osmium occurs in the form of seven isotopes, 6 of which are stable: 184 Os, 187 Os, 188 Os, 189 Os, 190 Os and 192 Os. The share of the heaviest isotope (osmium-192) accounts for 41%, the share of the lightest isotope (osmium-184) is only 0.018% of the total "reserves". Osmium-186 is subject to alpha decay, but given its exceptionally long half-life of (2.0±1.1)×10 15 years, it can be considered practically stable. According to calculations, other natural isotopes are also capable of alpha decay, but with an even longer half-life, so their alpha decay was not observed experimentally. Theoretically, double beta decay is possible for 184 Os and 192 Os, which has also not been recorded by observations.

The isotope osmium-187 is the result of the decay of the isotope of rhenium (187 Re, half-life 4.56×10 10 years). It is actively used in dating rocks and meteorites (rhenium-osmium method). The best-known use of osmium in dating methods is the iridium-osmium method, which was used to analyze quartz from the boundary layer separating the Cretaceous and Tertiary periods.

The separation of osmium isotopes is a rather difficult task. That is why some isotopes are quite expensive. The first and only exporter of pure osmium-187 is Kazakhstan, which has been officially offering this substance since January 2004 at prices of $10,000 per 1 gram.

wide practical application osmium-187 does not have. According to some reports, the purpose of operations with this isotope was the laundering of illegal capital.

• in the earth's crust - 0.007 g/t
• in peridotites - 0.15 g/t
• in eclogites - 0.16 g/t
• in formations of dunites-peridotites - 0.013 g/t
• in pyroxenite formations - 0.007 g/t

Native osmium is not found in nature. It is always associated in minerals with another platinum group metal, iridium. There is a whole group of osmic iridium minerals. The most common of them is nevyanskite, a natural alloy of these two metals. It contains more iridium, which is why nevyanskite is often called simply osmium iridium. But another mineral - sysertskite - is called iridide osmium - it contains more osmium ... Both of these minerals are heavy, with a metallic sheen, and this is not surprising - such is their composition. And it goes without saying that all minerals of the osmic iridium group are very rare.

Sometimes these minerals are found independently, but more often osmium iridium is a part of native raw platinum. The main reserves of these minerals are concentrated in the USSR (Siberia, the Urals), the USA (Alaska, California), Colombia, Canada, and the countries of South Africa.

Naturally, osmium is mined together with platinum, but the refining of osmium differs significantly from the methods for isolating other platinum metals. All of them, except for ruthenium, are precipitated from solutions, while osmium is obtained by distillation of it with respect to the volatile tetroxide.

But before OsO 4 is distilled off, osmium iridium must be separated from platinum, and then iridium and osmium must be separated.

When platinum is dissolved in aqua regia, the minerals of the osmic iridium group remain in the sediment: even this solvent of all solvents cannot overcome these most stable natural alloys. To bring them into solution, the precipitate is alloyed with eight times the amount of zinc - this alloy is relatively easy to turn into powder. The powder is sintered with barium peroxide BaO 3 , and then the resulting mass is treated with a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids directly in the distillation apparatus to distill OsO 4 .

It is captured with an alkaline solution and a salt of the composition Na 2 OsO 4 is obtained. A solution of this salt is treated with hyposulfite, after which osmium is precipitated with ammonium chloride in the form of the Fremy salt Cl 2 . The precipitate is washed, filtered and then ignited in a reducing flame. In this way, as yet insufficiently pure spongy osmium is obtained.

Then it is purified by treatment with acids (HF and HCl) and is further reduced in an electric furnace in a hydrogen jet. After cooling, the metal is obtained with a purity of up to 99.9% O 3 .

Takova classical scheme obtaining osmium - a metal that is still used extremely limitedly, a very expensive metal, but quite useful.

High hardness and exceptional refractoriness make it possible to use osmium for coating with it in friction units.

Osmium is the first in density a simple substance. Its density is 22.61 g/cm³.

Osmium is a tin-white metal with a grayish-blue tint. It is the heaviest of all metals and one of the hardest. However, the osmium sponge can be ground into a powder because it is fragile.

The crystal lattice is hexagonal of the Mg type, a = 0.27353 nm, c = 0.43191 nm, z = 2, spaces. group P6 3 /mmc;

Osmium melts at a temperature of about 3000 ° C, and its boiling point has not yet been precisely determined. It is believed to lie somewhere around 5500°C.

Metal density 22.61 g/cm 3 ; melting point 31.8 kJ/mol, evaporation temperature 747.4 kJ/mol; steam pressure 2.59 Pa (3000 °C), 133 Pa (3240 °C); 1.33kPa (3640°С), 13.3 kPa (4110°С); temperature coefficient of linear expansion 5·10 -6 K -1 (298 K); thermal conductivity 0.61 W/(cm K); conductivity 9.5 μΩ cm (20°C), temperature coefficient. Conductivity 4.2·10 -3 K -1; paramagnetic, magnetic susceptibility + 9.9 10 -6 ; superconducting transition temperature 0.66 K; Vickers hardness 3-4 GPa, Mohs 7; modulus of normal elasticity 56.7 GPa; shear modulus 22 GPa.

Like other platinum metals, osmium exhibits several valences: 0, 2+, 3+, 4+, 6+ and 8+. Most often you can find compounds of tetra- and hexavalent osmium. But when interacting with oxygen, it exhibits a valence of 8+.

Osmium powder, when heated, reacts with oxygen, halogens, sulfur vapor, selenium, tellurium, phosphorus, nitric and sulfuric acids. Compact osmium does not interact with either acids or alkalis, but forms water-soluble osmates with alkali melts. Slowly reacts with nitric acid and aqua regia, reacts with molten alkalis in the presence of oxidizing agents (potassium nitrate or chlorate), with molten sodium peroxide. In compounds, it exhibits oxidation states +4, +6, +8, less often others from +1 to +7.

In the compact state, osmium is resistant to oxidation up to 400 °C. Compact osmium does not dissolve in hot hydrochloric acid and boiling aqua regia. Finely dispersed osmium is oxidized by HNO 3 and boiling H 2 SO 4 to OsO 4, when heated, it reacts with F 2, Cl 2, P, Se, Te, etc. Metallic Os can be. transferred into solution by fusion with alkalis in the presence of oxidizing agents, and salts of osmic acid H 2 OsO 4 -osmates (VI) that are unstable in the free state are formed. When interacting OsO 4 with KOH in the presence of ethanol or radiation with KNO 2, osmate (VI) K 2, or K 2 OsO 4 2H 2 O is also obtained. Osmates (VI) are reduced with ethanol to hydroxide Os (OH) 4 (black) , which in the atmosphere of N 2 is dehydrated to dioxide OsO 2 . Perosmates M 2 are known, where X = OH, F, formed by the interaction of an OsO 4 solution with a concentrated alkali solution.

A feature of osmium tetroxide is noteworthy: its solubility in organic liquids is much higher than in water. Yes, at normal conditions only 14 grams of this substance dissolves in a glass of water, and more than 700 grams in a glass of carbon tetrachloride.

In an atmosphere of sulfur vapor, osmium powder flares up like a match, forming sulfide. Omnivorous fluorine at room temperature does not cause any "harm" to osmium, but when heated to 250-300 C, a number of fluorides are formed. Ever since the two volatile osmium fluorides were first obtained in 1913, it has been believed that their formulas are OsF6 and OsF8. But in 1958, it turned out that the fluoride OsF8, which had "lived" in the chemical literature for almost half a century, actually never existed, and these compounds correspond to the formulas OsF5 and OsF6. Relatively recently, scientists managed to obtain another fluoride, OsF7, which, when heated above 100 C, decomposes into OsF6 and elemental fluorine.

One of the chief virtues of osmium is its very high hardness; few metals can compete with it in this. That is why, when creating alloys with the highest wear resistance, osmium is introduced into their composition. Fountain pens with a gold nib are not uncommon. But gold is enough soft metal, and pen for long years work has to go through the paper for many kilometers at the will of the owner. Of course, paper is not a file or emery, but only a few metals can withstand such a test. And yet the tips of the feathers cope with this difficult role. How? The secret is simple: they are usually made from alloys of osmium with other platinoids, most often from osmiridium already known to you. Without exaggeration, we can say that there is no demolition of the pen, "armored" with osmium.

Exceptional hardness, good corrosion resistance, high wear resistance, no magnetic properties make osmiridium an excellent material for the tip of a compass needle, axes and supports of the most accurate measuring instruments and clockwork. It is made from cutting edges. surgical instruments, cutters for artistic processing of ivory.

The fact that osmium and iridium often "act as a duet" - in the form of a natural alloy, is explained not only by the valuable properties of osmiridium. but also by the will of fate, which wished that in the earth's crust these elements were connected by unusually strong bonds. In the form of nuggets, neither one nor the other metal was found in nature, but osmium iridium and iridium osmium are well-known minerals (they are called nevyanskite and sysertskite, respectively): iridium predominates in the first, osmium predominates in the second.

Sometimes these minerals occur on their own, but more often they are part of native platinum. Its division into components (the so-called refining) is a process that includes many stages, at one of which osmiridium precipitates. And perhaps the most difficult and expensive thing in this whole "story" is to separate osmium and iridium. But often this is not necessary: ​​as you already know, the alloy is widely used in technology, and it costs much less than, for example, pure osmium. Indeed, in order to isolate this metal from an alloy, it is necessary to carry out so many chemical operations that one of their enumeration would take up a lot of space. The end product of a long technological chain is metallic osmium with a purity of 99.9%.

Along with hardness, another advantage of osmium is known - refractoriness.

In terms of melting point (about 3000 C), it surpassed not only its noble counterparts - platinoids, but also the vast majority of other metals. Due to its infusibility, osmium got into the biography of an electric light bulb: back in those days when electricity proved its superiority over another light source - gas, the German scientist K. Auer von Welsbach proposed replacing the carbon hair in an incandescent lamp with osmium. Lamps began to consume three times less energy and gave a pleasant, even light. But osmium did not last long in this responsible post: at first it was replaced by less scarce tantalum, but soon it was forced to give way to the most refractory of the refractory - tungsten, which to this day carries its fiery watch.

Something similar happened with osmium in another area of ​​its application - in the production of ammonia. The modern method for the synthesis of this compound, proposed back in 1908 by the famous German chemist Fritz Haber, is unthinkable without the participation of catalysts. The first catalysts that were used for this purpose showed their abilities only at high temperatures (above 700 C), and besides, they were not very effective.

Attempts to find a replacement for them for a long time did not lead to anything. A new word in the improvement of this process was said by scientists from the laboratory of the Higher Technical School in Karlsruhe: they proposed the use of finely dispersed osmium as a catalyst. (By the way, being very hard, osmium is at the same time very fragile, so the sponge of this metal can be crushed and turned into powder without much effort.) Industrial experiments have shown that the game is worth the candle: the temperature of the process was reduced by more than 100 degrees, yes and exit finished products increased noticeably.

Despite the fact that later osmium had to leave the scene here too (now, for example, inexpensive but effective iron catalysts are used for the synthesis of ammonia), we can assume that it was he who shifted important issue from dead center. Osmium continues its catalytic activity even today: its use in hydrogenation reactions organic matter gives excellent results. This is primarily due to the great demand for osmium on the part of chemists: almost half of its world production is spent on chemical needs.

Element 76 is of considerable interest as an object scientific research. Natural osmium consists of seven stable isotopes with mass numbers 184, 186-190 and 192. It is curious that the lower the mass number of the isotope of this element, the less common it is: if the heaviest isotope (osmium-192) accounts for 41%, then the lightest of the seven "brothers" (osmium-184) has only 0.018% of the total "reserves". Since isotopes differ from each other only in the mass of atoms, and in their physicochemical "inclinations" they are very similar to each other, it is very difficult to separate them. That is why even "crumbs" of isotopes of some elements are fabulously expensive: for example, a kilogram of osmium-187 is valued on the world market at 14 million dollars. True, in Lately scientists have learned to "separate" isotopes using laser beams, and it is hoped that soon the prices of these "non-consumer goods" will be markedly reduced.

Of the compounds of osmium, its tetroxide has the greatest practical importance (yes, the one to which the element is so “owed” by its name). It acts as a catalyst in the synthesis of certain drugs. In medicine and biology, it is used as a staining agent for microscopic examination of animal and plant tissues. It should be remembered that harmless-looking pale yellow crystals of osmium tetroxide are a strong poison that irritates the skin and mucous membranes, and is harmful to the eyes.

Osmium oxide is used as a black dye for porcelain painting: salts of this element are used in mineralogy as strong etchants. The majority of osmium compounds, including various complexes (osmium exhibits the ability to form complex compounds inherent in all platinum metals), as well as its alloys (except for the already known osmiridium and some alloys with other platinoids, tungsten and cobalt), while "languishing" in waiting for the right job.

Osmium is a chemical element from the corresponding system of chemical elements. In its normal state, it is a transition metal of the platinum group in the form of a brilliant white metal with a silvery tint with a blue tint. This type materials has the highest density among others along with iridium, however, the latter loses a little.

This type of material is isolated from enriched type platinum metal raw materials by piercing at a temperature of 800 to 900 degrees Celsius in air.

Osmium specific gravity table

Since osmium is a complex material, calculate its specific gravity in field conditions alone is not possible. These calculations are carried out in special chemical laboratories. However, the average specific gravity of osmium is known and equal to 22.61 g/cm3.

To simplify the calculations, below is a table with the values specific gravity osmium, as well as its weight, depending on the units of calculation.

Osmium properties

This material is brittle, but at the same time, a very hard metal with a high specific gravity. Machining lends itself with difficulty, due to brittleness, hardness and high melting point, as well as low pressure vapors. The melting point of osmium is 3033 degrees Celsius and the boiling point is 5012 degrees Celsius. This type of material belongs to the group of paramagnets.

Osmium in the powder state reacts well with halogens, selenium, phosphorus, oxygen, sulfur vapor, sulfuric and nitric acid when heated. Does not interact in a compact form with alkalis and acids. It has a slow reaction rate with aqua regia and nitric acid.

This type of material is one of the few metals that form cluster or polynuclear compounds.

Has no effect on biological role living organisms and is extremely toxic.

Obtaining osmium

Not found naturally in nature. This material is always associated with another kind of platinum group metal - iridium. Osmium is mined along with platinum. During the processing of which osmium iridium is released, which is separated into separate components - iridium and osmium. The osmium is then purified, subjected to an acid treatment process and reduced with hydrogen in an electric furnace, resulting in a pure metal with a concentration of up to 99.9 percent.

Application of osmium

Widely used as a catalyst for reactions and a component of alloys with iridium. The main areas to highlight are: