Who Discovered Ruthenium
Ruthenium is a chemical element that is represented by the chemical symbol Ru and the atomic number 44. It is a rare metal that is most commonly found as a minor component of platinum ores. It is inert (not chemically reactive) with most chemicals and this property makes it important for a variety of niche uses. It is one of the rarest elements on Earth and it is estimated that there are only 5,000 tonnes on the planet. If you have ever wanted to know who discovered ruthenium, keep reading to find out.
Who discovered ruthenium?
Ruthenium was discovered in 1844 by Russian scientist Karl Klaus. He had isolated the metal from platinum residues while working at Kazan University. He was able to obtain 6 grams of the metal from crude platinum. He named the element Ruthenium, which was from the Latin word Ruthenia (the word was used to describe a region in Eastern Europe including Russia).
Did you know?
Ruthenium was once thought to have been isolated by Polish chemist J?drzej ?niadecki in 1807. However, his work was never confirmed and he later withdrew his claim. In 1827 chemists Jöns Berzelius and Gottfried Osann were examining the reside left after obtaining the pure platinum. Osann thought he had found 3 new metals, but Berzelius disagreed and this ended up causing a huge feud between the two men. Klaus later showed that Osann was correct and that he had indeed found 3 new metals!
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