INTRODUCTION
Rhodium is a very durable metal, insoluble in ordinary acids and is very difficult to fuse.Rhodium alloy has the desirable properties of platinum and is also hard and durable.
Few amounts of rhodium occur in some nickel ores, and most commercially obtained rhodium is a by-product of nickel production.
BASIC INFORMATIONS
- Atomic Number
- 45
- Atomic Mass
- 102.9055
- Atomic radius
- 0.125
- Ionization energy
- 720
- Electronic config
- 2,8,18,16,1
- Principal Valency
- +1
- Density g/cm³
- 12.39
- Melting point °C
- 1964
- Boiling point °C
- 3695
- Type of Element
- Metal
- Electronegativity
- 2.2
- Element Category
- Cobalt Group
- Appearance
- Silvery white solid
- Block
- d-block
- Period
- 5
- Group
- 9
- No of Isotopes
- 34
- Occurrence
- Combine form
- Abundance in ppm
- 0.0001
- Year of Discovery
- 1803
EXTRACTION
It is obtained as a by-product of nickel production.
OXIDATION STATES
+6,+5,+4,+3,+2,+1,-1 (Amphoteric)
MAJOR SOURCE
Platinum ores, Osmiridium, Rhodite.
EXAMPLES OF COMPOUND PRESENT
RhF RhO RhCl
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
* Rhodium alloy has the desirable properties of platinum and is also hard and durable.
* Rhodium-platinum alloys are used in thermocouples, measuring high temperatures.
* Pure rhodium is used as a mirror surface in searchlights and as a plating finish for jewelry and silverware.
* Rhodium black is used both as a catalyst and as a black pigment for porcelain ware.
