Iridium (lat. Iridium, represented by the symbol Ir) is chemical element in the periodic table of D. I. Mendeleev. Iridium is a very hard, refractory, silver-white platinum group transition metal with a high density. In this parameter, only osmium can be compared (the density of Os and Ir is almost equal, calculated based on theoretical error).
1. Iridium was discovered by British chemist S. Tennant and osmium in 1803 that osmium exists as an impurity in natural platinum transported from South America. Tennant is the first of several scientists to manage to obtain sufficiently insoluble residues after exposing platinum to aqua regia and identifying previously unknown metals in it.
2. The difference between iridium salt is its diversity in color , such as IrCl – copper red, IrCl2 – dark green, IrCl3 – olive green, IrCl4 – brown, IrF2 – yellow, Ir2O3 and IrBr – blue. It is named after this, and it comes from the name of the Greek goddess of rainbow, Irida.
3. Iridium is a heavy silver-white metal that is difficult to process due to its hardness.
4. Iridium is one of the most chemical-resistant elements: it is not dissolved even in aqua regia, and only molten alkali or sodium peroxide can melt it.
5. Iridium has high corrosion resistance even at 2000°C.
6. The melting point of iridium is 2739 K (2466 °C) and the boiling point is 4701 K (4428 °C).
7. Like all platinum, iridium is an excellent catalyst, but its use is limited because of its rare and expensive metal.
8. The iridium content in the earth's crust is negligible (10-7% by weight). It is much rarer than gold and platinum. Iridium is relatively common in meteorite . Therefore, high concentrations of iridium in rock samples are an indicator of the origin of the latter's cosmic (meteorite).
9. Osmium iridium native deposits are mainly distributed in peridotite serpentinites in the folded area (South Africa, Canada, Russia, the United States, New Guinea).
10. The annual output of iridium on the earth is about 3 tons.
11. The crucible used to grow high-quality laser single crystals is made of this pure metal: due to its high chemical inertia and heat resistance, this crucible will not react with the contents placed therein. After the necessity of iridium for producing high-quality spark plug has become clear, the automobile industry has become the main consumer of precious metal . Among equipment manufacturers operating under extreme conditions, the demand for iridium remains unchanged. jet engine requires iridium alloy because they have high temperature strength. Iridium's heat-resistant alloy - an element of power plants for space robots operating with atomic energy. Titanium alloyed with iridium is used in pipelines capable of operating in deep oceans. Radioactive iridium 192 is the main tool for welding quality control. The same gamma ray source helps doctors overcome the tumor process.
12. A few atomic thick iridium layer covers the mirror of the telescope that receives the X-ray. In the past, the use of platinum-iridium coatings could extend the service life of gun locks.
13. In 2013, the National Bank of Rwanda used iridium to make official coins for the first time in the world, and issued 999 pure metal coins. Iridium coins with a denomination of 10 Rwandan francs were issued.
14. 10% iridium in soft platinum increases the metal strength three times. Jewelers use this quality. Platinum-iridium alloy makes very beautiful and wear-resistant jewelry.
15. Does not play any biological role. Iridium metal is nontoxic, but some iridium compounds, such as their hexafluoride (IrF6), are highly toxic.
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