iridium
Sign in to saveIridium is a chemical element; it has the symbol Ir and atomic number 77. This very hard, brittle, silvery-white transition metal of the platinum group is considered the second-densest naturally occurring metal (after osmium), with a density of as defined by experimental X-ray crystallography. 191Ir and 193Ir are the only two naturally occurring isotopes of iridium, as well as the only stable isotopes; the latter is the more abundant. It is one of the most corrosion-resistant metals, even at temperatures as high as .
AI overview
Iridium is a rare, extremely hard and dense silvery-white metal that belongs to the platinum group of elements and is highly resistant to corrosion even at very high temperatures. It matters because these exceptional properties—its hardness, density, and resistance to wear and chemical damage—make it valuable for specialized industrial and scientific applications where durability under extreme conditions is essential.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
28 sectionsContents
- Characteristics
- Physical properties
- Chemical properties
- Isotopes
- Chemistry
- Oxidation states
- Binary compounds
- Complexes
- Organoiridium chemistry
- History
- Platinum group
- Discovery
- Metalworking and applications
- Occurrence
- Marine oceanography
- Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary presence
- Production
- Applications
- Metal and alloys
- Catalysis
- Medical imaging
- Photocatalysis and OLEDs
- Scientific
- Historical
- Precautions and hazards
- Notes
- References
- External links
Iridium is a chemical element; it has the symbol Ir and atomic number 77. This very hard, brittle, silvery-white transition metal of the platinum group is considered the second-densest naturally occurring metal (after osmium), with a density of as defined by experimental X-ray crystallography. 191Ir and 193Ir are the only two naturally occurring isotopes of iridium, as well as the only stable isotopes; the latter is the more abundant. It is one of the most corrosion-resistant metals, even at temperatures as high as .
Iridium was discovered in 1803 in the acid-insoluble residues of platinum ores by the British chemist Smithson Tennant. The name iridium, derived from the Greek word iris (rainbow), refers to the various colors of its compounds. Iridium is one of the rarest elements in Earth's crust, with an estimated annual production of only in 2023.