45Rh Rhodium
Year Discovered
1803
Discovered By
William Hyde Wollaston of England
Biological Rating
Not necessary for life.
Description
Named after the Greek word meaning rose, rhodium is a lustrous, hard silvery-white metal. Much like ruthenium, it is stable, being affect only by hot alkalis. Rhodium’s primary use is as a catalyst. It is also alloyed with palladium and platinum to harden those metals. It is also used in the coating of mirrors and to form a hard, lustrous coating for silverware, jewelry and camera parts. It is a component of automobile catalytic converters, which help clean up exhaust gases. It is the most valuable platinum group metal.
Biological Benefits
Rhodium has no known biological use.
Role in Life Processes
No known benefit for life processes.
Sources
Rhodium is stable enough to be frequently found in its pure form. Rhodplumsite is a somewhat common rhodium-bearing mineral. Rhodium is obtained as a by-product from mining platinum and palladium in the USA (Montana), South Africa and Russia.