The most rare metals on the planet

Gold and diamonds are commonly known as rare and expensive metals in the world. But few know that there are other rare and more expensive metals because of their special use. Surely you will be surprised to hear their names and uses.

Let's get to the top of the world's top 10 rare metals, in which troy ounces of precious metals are measured - equivalent to 1.1 ounces of 0.031kg (1 ounce = 28, 35g).

10. Indi

Pure Indi ingots.

Indium (Indium) is a fairly rare, soft, malleable and fusible metal, in the form of pure metal that is considered by many sources to be non-toxic, by two German chemists Ferdinand Reich and Hieronymous Theodor Richter discovered in 1863. When in pure metal form and bent, it emits cracking noises. Its current main application is to create transparent electrodes used in liquid crystal displays (LCDs). It is also widely used in thin films to create lubricating layers.

Indium ranks 61st in terms of popularity in the Earth's crust, meaning that it has three times more silver. Indium is produced primarily from residual residues after refined zinc ore. Demand for indi has increased rapidly in recent years with the popularity of computer monitors / LCD televisions.

9. Silver

Silver jewelry

Since ancient times, this metal has been used in trade and as a basis for many monetary systems. Today, in addition to being used as valuable ornaments, silver is also used in many other areas such as making dentures, electronic components or producing mirrors that require high reflectivity. In particular, its halide salts have an important role and are widely used in life; For example, silver nitrate is widely used in film storage technology; Or silver iodide can cause cloud condensation to create artificial rain.

Silver itself is non-toxic, but most of its salts are toxic and can cause cancer.

Silver has the effect and ability to kill many bacteria and bacteria without leaving a clear impact on the health and life of higher animals.Hippocrates - the father of modern medicine, wrote that silver has beneficial properties for health and disease prevention. In Vietnam, our people also know how to apply this effect when wearing silver to "windy", " prevent disease ". According to recent studies, breastmilk in a silver bottle is much longer damaged than in regular plastic bottles. Many manufacturers of refrigeration equipment such as Toshiba, Panasonic, Samsung apply nano-silver technology in refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines for the purpose of antiseptic.

8. Reni (Rhenium)

Pure Reni Ingots.

The metals are rated quarterly because they are hard to find and especially difficult to analyze. Rare metal mining is always a complicated and expensive process. For example, a large amount of minerals must be treated to extract 1 kg of rare Rhenium metal. This is a valuable precious metal in the mechanical engineering industry to produce high-temperature resistant machinery . With a very high melting point (more than 3,000 degrees Celsius), alloys with Rhenium are used to make components in jets, rockets, and are the ideal material in the atomic energy industry. Reni's alloy with tungsten is used as a filament of electric light bulbs, making thermoelectric batteries. Reni is also used as a catalyst in the oil refining and petrochemical industry .

Rhenium was discovered by scientists in 1925. Its name comes from the German Rhein (because it was found in Germany). In 2010, the metal cost about $ 141 / troy ounce (equivalent to more than $ 4,500 / kg.

7. Palladium (Palladium)

Palladium crystals

Palladium is a rare, silvery-white, shiny metal, discovered by William Hyde Wollaston in 1803, and named after the asteroid Pallas . In particular, at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, palladium can absorb hydrogen up to 900 times its volume, making palladium an effective and safe storage medium for hydrogen. Palladium is also resistant to dullness, stable electrical conductivity and high resistance to chemical corrosion, good heat resistance.

Most palladium is used in catalytic converters of the automotive industry. In the early 2000s, due to fears that automobile production could be delayed due to palladium shortage, Ford Motor conducted a large stock of this metal by buying at the highest price. Because prices then dropped, Ford lost about $ 1 billion.

Unique properties of palladium and platinum group metals (PGM) explain their wide use. About a quarter of today's manufactured goods either contain PGM or have PGM that plays an important role in their production. More than half of palladium supplies and platinum are used for catalytic converters, in which they convert up to 90% of toxic gases from automotive fumes.

Palladium is found in many electronics such as computers, mobile phones, multi-layer ceramic capacitors, composite plating, low voltage contacts, and SED / OLED / LCD televisions; It is also used in medicine, in photo printing technology.

It can also be used to replace nickel in white gold production . Palladium is one of the three most commonly used metals to alloy with gold in white gold production.

6. Osimi (Osmium)

Crystal Osimi.

Osimi is one of the most dense elements on earth, discovered by Smithson Tennant in 1803. It is the best heat-resistant substance in platinum group metals (PGM), solid state, osimi has one bluish white is similar to zinc and is stable with acids.

This metal is mainly used in stainless alloys for sealing pen nibs or tool hinges.

Recently, British scientists have discovered that the compound between Osimi and Ruthenium is able to cure bowel and ovarian cancer.

Researchers at the University of Warwick and Leeds found that the metallic elements Ruthenium and Osmium have quite similar chemical properties, their atoms can combine with AND particles, destroy cells. cancer. Using Ruthenium and Osmium compounds can cause colon cancer and ovarian cancer to be destroyed, and Xitplatin-resistant cancer cells are also destroyed by this compound.

In 2010, the price of 1kg osimi is about 12,700USD.

5. Iridium (Iridium)

Iridium is one of the rarest elements on our planet. It is a hard, silver-white platinum (PCM) metal, the best corrosion resistant metal, even at high temperatures of about 2000 ° C.

Iridium was discovered by Smithson Tennant in 1803 in England (the same year he discovered Osimi). Although one of the rarest elements in the Earth's crust, with an annual production and consumption of only 3 tons, it has many applications in specific industries and in medicine. With special properties, Iridium plays an important role in the medical, electronic, automotive and other consumer goods such as ball pens, watches, and compasses.

Iridium spark plugs for cars.

For example, with high corrosion resistance, Iridium is used in heating furnaces to recrystallize semiconductors at high temperatures, electrodes in chlorine production, and radioactive isotope thermoelectric generators. used in unmanned spacecraft. In the automotive industry, iridium is used as a spark plug.

Iridium is mainly distributed in South Africa, and its average price is around $ 13,500 / kg.

4. Ruthenium (Ruthenium)

Rutheni was discovered and isolated by Russian scientist Karl Klaus in 1844. The name is derived from Ruthenia, a Latin word for Rus, a historical area that today is western Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, part of Slovakia and Poland. Karl Klaus named such an element to honor his homeland.

The watch is made of gold and the $ 70,000 Ruteni.

After a complex chemical process, this metal is isolated and used for many different purposes. For example, ruthenium is added with alloys of palladium and platinum to increase rigidity and enhance durability. Ruthenium is also commonly used in electronics. In 2009, the price of this metal was about 14,500 USD / kg

Biologically, Ruthenium can darken human skin, and can be carcinogenic and bioaccumulative in bones.

3. Gold (Gold)

Gold is a metal that is yellow when solid, but when it is pure, there is also a black, ruby ​​or purple color; soft, malleable, easy to laminated, and illuminated.

Gold combined with other metals will produce different colored alloys, such as in combination with copper for a reddish color, alloy with green iron, alloy with aluminum for purple, with platinum for color. white.

Since ancient times, gold has been considered a health benefit, however, only salts and isotopes of gold have medical value. Today's science has demonstrated that gold injections help reduce pain and swelling caused by rheumatism and tuberculosis.

Gold alloys have been used in dental restoration, especially teeth, such as crowns and permanent bridges.

Also gold is used in food. Gold leaf, cotton or dust is used in some gourmet foods as a decorative ingredient. However, because metallic gold is inert to all chemicals in the body, it does not bring any flavor nor nutritional effect.

Gold can be made into threads and used in embroidery.

Because gold is a good reflection of electromagnetic radiation, it is used as a protective coating for many artificial satellites, in infrared thermal protection plates and caps of astronauts. It is also used as a reflective layer on some high-tech CDs. McLaren uses gold leaf in the engine compartment for its F1 model.

Gold-plated objects always show wealth and beauty.

In the jewelry industry in Vietnam, the weight of gold is calculated in units of trees (quantity or tael) or just. A golden tree weighs 37.50 g.

In the world market, gold is usually measured by the system of troy volume, of which 1 troy ounce (ozt) is equivalent to 31,103 476 8 g.

The age (or content) of gold is calculated on the K scale (Karat). A Karat is equivalent to 1/24 pure gold. Gold 99.99% is equivalent to 24K. When we say the golden age is 18K, it is equivalent to the gold content in the sample of approximately 75%. Currently in Vietnam people often trade gold in the form of cakes, bars, rings, chains, rings, bracelets with a gold content of 99.999% or 99.99%, 99.9%, 99% or 98 %

2. Platinum (Platinum)

Platinum is one of the most rare metals on the planet, grayish-white, hard to corrode, melting temperature of up to 3215 degrees F. Platinum is used in jewelry, laboratory equipment, electrodes poles, medical and dental equipment, chemical catalytic devices, controlling the level of air emissions in cars.

Platinum does not cause allergies, so people with sensitive skin will be completely unaffected when using platinum items.

The platinum hand of Ginza Tanaka jeweler costs 1,422,122 Euro.

The properties of platinum make many industrial sectors dependent on this metal. Some special products need to use platinum such as petrochemical, LCD, eyeglasses, anti-cancer drugs, paints, hard drives, fiber optic cables and explosives.

Japanese people love platinum and every year they consume 48% of the platinum jewelry produced in the world.

More than one-third of the platinum produced annually for international markets is used in the car's toxic emissions controls.

The price of metal is about $ 40,000 / kg (in 2009).

1. Rodi (Rhodium)

Rodi, discovered by William Hyde Wollaston after he found palladium in 1803, is a silvery, hard but ductile metal. It has a high reflectivity and has the highest electrical / thermal conductivity of all platinum group metals (PGM). Rodions do not rust in almost all hydrated solutions, including inorganic acids even at high temperatures.

The main use of Rodi is to be used as a preparation for alloying with platinum and in that alloy it has several applications in the electrical industry and the glass manufacturing industry.

In addition to playing an important role in the automotive industry, Rodi is also used to produce glass, mirrors and jewelry, electrical contacts and aircraft turbine engines.

The fountain pen with a stinger made by Edison Pen Co's Rodi shows class
of the user.

Because the supply is very scarce, its price is very high, at some point in 2008 the price reached over USD 10,000 / oz. Annual production of Rodi in the world is very small, and mostly comes from South Africa.

By comparison, about 2,500 tons of gold is produced each year, while the annual Rodii output is only about 1% of gold production, and the price is 1.5 times higher than the price of gold.