When asked which metal is the most expensive, the vast majority will naturally say it is gold. In fact, the price is astronomical: almost 1,800 euros (31.1 grams) per ounce today. And yet Gold is not the most expensive metal in the worlddespite being in the top five. On the first row of the podium is a much lesser-known element: rhodium.
It is currently the most expensive precious metal and also one of the rarest. At the time of this publication, an ounce of rhodium was $4,100.. But just a few months ago, in December 2022, it had hit $14,000 per ounce. Even so, it’s much more than gold.
Why is it so expensive? Rhodium does not readily react with oxygen, making it a noble metal resistant to both corrosion and oxidation, and an excellent catalyst. Her overall resistance and high melting point of 1,964 degrees Celsius they place it between the platinum group metals, as well as platinum, as well as palladium, osmium, iridium and ruthenium.
The most important feature of rhodium is its ability to withstand water and air temperatures up to 600 degrees and remain insoluble in most acids. Highly versatile for use in automobiles, aircraft, electrical contacts and high temperature resistant thermocouples and cablesIt reports on the IFLS Science portal.
Despite its rarity and beauty, 2019 statistics show that almost 90 percent of rhodium demand comes from the jewelery industry. catalytic converters for cars A possibly less glamorous use of one of the rarest precious metals in the world in the manufacture of catalytic converters.
A very rare metal in the world
It is an extremely rare metal: it is found at approx. 0.000037 parts per million in the earth’s crustGold is abundant at about 0.0013 parts per million, according to the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Where are the main deposits? This product mainly mined in South Africa and Russia. But rhodium also occurs as a byproduct of refining copper and nickel ores containing up to 0.1 percent of this precious metal. About 16 tons are produced annually Rhodium has an estimated 3,000 tons of reserves on the planet.
The British chemist William Hyde Wollanston was responsible for the discovery of this material; In 1803 he extracted this element from a piece of platinum found in South America. Wollaston had recently discovered palladium himself.
Rhodium, often found with platinum deposits, was obtained by removing platinum and palladium from the Wollaston sample, leaving a dark red powder that was treated with hydrogen gas to release the rhodium.
Although the solid metal shimmers in a bright, reflective silvery-white color, rhodium derives its name from the Greek word “rhodon” meaning rose, referring to the red color of rhodium salts.
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