Ruthenium

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Ruthenium \Ru*the"ni*um\, n. [NL. So named from the Ruthenians,
     a Little Russian people, as coming from Russia, the metal
     having been found in the Ural mountains.] (Chem.)
     A rare element of the light platinum group, found associated
     with platinum ores, and isolated as a hard, brittle
     steel-gray metal which is very infusible. Symbol Ru. Atomic


     weight 103.5. Specific gravity 12.26. See {Platinum metals},
     under {Platinum}.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  ruthenium
       n : a rare polyvalent metallic element of the platinum group; it
           is found associated with platinum [syn: {Ru}, {atomic
           number 44}]

From Elements database 20001107 [elements]:

  ruthenium
  Symbol: Ru
  Atomic number: 44
  Atomic weight: 101.07
  Hard white metallic transition element. Found with platinum, used as a
  catalyst in some platinum alloys. Dissolves in fused alkalis, and is not
  attacked by acids. Reacts with halogens and oxygen at high temperatures.
  Isolated in 1844 by K.K. Klaus.