Osmium: The Densest Element on Earth and Its Fascinating Properties
The
chemical element osmium has the atomic number 76 and the letter Os as its
symbol. It is a hard, brittle, bluish-white transition metal from the platinum
family that is usually found in platinum ores and is used as a trace element in
alloys. The densest naturally occurring element is osmium. Its density, as
determined experimentally by X-ray crystallography, is 22.59 g/cm3. Its alloys
with platinum, iridium, and other platinum-group metals are used by
manufacturers to create electrical connections, nib tips for fountain pens, and
other items that need to be extremely durable and hard. Osmium, which only
makes up 50 parts per trillion (ppt) of the Earth's crust, is one of the rarest
elements on the planet. It is the rarest valuable metal since it is thought to
exist in the cosmos in a mere 0.6 parts per billion. Let’s explore its unique characteristics:
1.
Physical
properties
The
densest stable element,
Osmium has a blue-grey hue and
is almost twice as dense as lead and just slightly less dense than iridium. For
these elements, density calculations from X-ray diffraction data may yield the
most accurate results. Osmium single crystals have a complex and strongly
direction-dependent reflectivity. Light in the red and near-infrared spectrum
is more strongly absorbed when polarised parallel to the c crystal axis than
when polarised perpendicular to the c axis; c-parallel polarisation is also
slightly more reflective in the mid-ultraviolet spectrum. Reflectivity peaks
for both polarisations in the visible spectrum at around 1.5 eV (near-infrared)
for the c-parallel polarisation and 2.0 eV (orange) for the c-perpendicular
polarisation.
2.
Chemical
properties
Oxidation
states ranging from 4 to +8 are formed by Osmium.
The oxidation states +2, +3, +4, and +8 are the most prevalent. Only xenon,
ruthenium, hassium, iridium, and plutonium occur in the +8 oxidation state,
which is significant for being the maximum achieved by any chemical element
outside of iridium's +9 oxidation state. Osmium tetroxide is the substance that
exhibits the +8 oxidation state the most frequently. When osmium powder is
exposed to air, a poisonous chemical is created. It is a crystalline substance
that is extremely flammable, water soluble, and light yellow in colour. Osmium
tetroxide's distinctive aroma may be detected in osmium powder.
3.
Isotopes
Five
of the seven naturally occurring isotopes of osmium are stable. Additionally,
it has been used to establish minimum ages for the stabilisation of the mantle
roots of continental cratons as well as to gauge the extent of continental
weathering across geologic time. Rhenium-rich materials are exceptionally rich
in 187 Os because of this degradation.
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