{"id":27440,"date":"2025-02-19T11:14:16","date_gmt":"2025-02-19T10:14:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/materialneutral.info\/?post_type=element&#038;p=27440"},"modified":"2026-03-24T19:54:33","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T18:54:33","slug":"ruthenium","status":"publish","type":"element","link":"https:\/\/materialneutral.info\/en\/element\/ruthenium\/","title":{"rendered":"Ruthenium"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Ruthenium is a dark grey, shiny metallic precious metal. It is used as a catalyst in the chemical industry. Many plastics are produced with the help of ruthenium. Ruthenium is also used together with other metals as alloys. It makes the alloys harder than the pure metals, making aeroplane turbines, for example, more stable.<\/p>\n<h4>How can I come into contact with this material?<\/h4>\n<figure id=\"attachment_27169\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-27169\" style=\"width: 322px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-27169\" src=\"https:\/\/materialneutral.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Ruthenium-Tablett-Chemie_angellodeco-adobestock-300x201.jpg\" alt=\"Wissenschaftler bei der Arbeit an den digitalen Tablet-Daten des chemischen Elements Ruthenium. Bildquelle: angellodeco &#x2013; stock.adobe.com\" width=\"322\" height=\"215\" srcset=\"https:\/\/materialneutral.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Ruthenium-Tablett-Chemie_angellodeco-adobestock-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/materialneutral.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Ruthenium-Tablett-Chemie_angellodeco-adobestock-1024x685.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/materialneutral.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Ruthenium-Tablett-Chemie_angellodeco-adobestock-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/materialneutral.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Ruthenium-Tablett-Chemie_angellodeco-adobestock-1536x1027.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/materialneutral.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Ruthenium-Tablett-Chemie_angellodeco-adobestock.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 322px) 100vw, 322px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-27169\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">&#xA9; angellodeco &#x2013; stock.adobe.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Printed circuit boards and their components contain ruthenium. Ruthenium is located inside the component, so contact is rather unlikely. Dentures may contain ruthenium, but the quantities are very small. Ruthenium is chemically very resistant, so it is almost never released.<\/p>\n<p>In the chemical industry, ruthenium is used as a catalyst in reactors. No one except the responsible personnel has access to it. But even if the catalyst is released in an extremely unlikely accident, the quantities of ruthenium are very small and therefore not critical for humans. Ruthenium catalysts are highly efficient, but expensive and therefore only available in small quantities in the reactor.<\/p>\n<p>Medical applications of ruthenium are still at the research stage. It will therefore not (yet) be found in doctors&#x2019; surgeries or clinics.<\/p>\n<h4>Is there any risk from this material to humans and the environment?<\/h4>\n<p>The amount of ruthenium that could be ingested via direct contact with the metal or its alloys is so low that no <span class=\"glossaryLink\" aria-describedby=\"tt\" data-cmtooltip=\"cmtt_7fc5eb40ae9ced824898b7a4ee0502cd\" data-gt-translate-attributes='[{\"attribute\":\"data-cmtooltip\", \"format\":\"html\"}]' tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">harmful effects<\/span> are to be feared. Ruthenium is found in catalysts in complex compounds. These have a high <span class=\"glossaryLink\" aria-describedby=\"tt\" data-cmtooltip=\"cmtt_d55e47485a254550aacd9386a808c3da\" data-gt-translate-attributes='[{\"attribute\":\"data-cmtooltip\", \"format\":\"html\"}]' tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">bioavailability<\/span>. They are therefore used in the smallest possible quantities and in closed systems.<\/p>\n<h4>Conclusion<\/h4>\n<p><strong>Ruthenium is rarely found in our everyday lives. The quantities are so small that it is harmless to humans and other living organisms in the environment.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h5><\/h5>\n<h6>By the way&#x2026;<\/h6>\n<p>Compared to almost all other elements, ruthenium also has a non-natural source: it is a component of spent fuel rods from nuclear power plants. Ruthenium itself does not emit radiation. Despite the high price of ruthenium, it is not separated because of the radiating elements. Ruthenium can be obtained from the <span class=\"glossaryLink\" aria-describedby=\"tt\" data-cmtooltip=\"cmtt_684cd436210636b17b44bafe8dfd2ea8\" data-gt-translate-attributes='[{\"attribute\":\"data-cmtooltip\", \"format\":\"html\"}]' tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">transmutation<\/span> of uranium, for example. This transmutation was already the goal of the alchemists who wanted to turn lead into gold.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ruthenium is a dark grey, shiny metallic precious metal. It is used as a catalyst in the chemical industry. 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