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rhodium (Rh)


rhodium
Rhodium melted pellet.
Image copyright: smart-elements.com
A moderately hard, silvery-white, metallic element belonging to the platinum group of transition elements. Rhodium was discovered by William Wollaston in London in 1803; its name comes from the Greek rhodon meaning "rose." It occurs associated with platinum and its chief source is a by-product of nickel smelting.

Rhodium resists tarnishing and corrosion; it is used in hard platinum alloys, as a mirror surface, to plate jewellery, and in an alloy with platinum as a catalyst in the Ostwald process. Its most common isotope is 103Rh (100%).


atomic number 45
relative atomic mass 102.91
electron configuration [Kr]4d8 5s1
relative density 12.4
melting point 1,966°C (3,571°F)
boiling point 3,727°C (6,741°F)


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