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RHODIUM
Rhodium is extremely hard and bright, its primary use in jewelry is as a
plating to give white gold extra shine. It also is sometimes used as an
alloying agent for hardening platinum and palladium.
Rhodium has both a higher melting point and lower density than platinum. It is
not attacked by acids and only dissolves in aqua regia. It is one of the most
expensive precious metals.
Rhodium (From the Greek rhodon meaning "rose") was discovered in 1803 by William
Hyde Wollaston soon after his discovery of palladium. The industrial extraction
of rhodium is complex as the metal occurs in ores mixed with other metals such
as palladium, silver, platinum, and gold.
Principal sources of this element are located in South Africa, in river sands of
the Ural Mountains, in North America and South America. The main exporter of
rhodium is South Africa (80%) followed by Russia. However, the annual world
production of this element is only about 20 tons.
Physical Properties of Rhodium:
Melting point: 2237 degrees K
Symbol: Rh
Crystal System: Face-centered cubic crystal Hardness: 6.0 Mohs'
Cleavage: None
Fracture: None
Specific Gravity:12.4
Color: bright white metallic
Luster: bright, shiny
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