 Discovery Information |
| Who:
Smithson Tenant
|
| When: 1804 |
| Where: England |
|
| Name Origin |
| Greek: osme (odour). A metal with pungent smell. |
|
| Sources |
| Obtained from the same ores as platinum. |
|
| Uses |
| Used to tip gold pen points, instrument pivots (such as compass needles and clock bearings), to make electric light filaments. Used for high temperature alloys and pressure bearings. |
|
| Notes |
| Osmium in a metallic form is extremely dense, blue white, brittle and lustrous even at high temperatures, but proves to be extremely difficult to make. |
| Because of the extreme toxicity of its oxide, osmium is rarely used in its pure state, and is instead often alloyed with other metals that are used in high wear applications. |
| One cubic metre of osmium would weigh about 22.65 tonnes! |
| The light bulb manufacturer OSRAM (founded in 1906 when three german companies; Auer-Gesellerschaft, AEG and Siemens and Halske combined their lamp production facilities), derived its name from the elements of OSmium and wolfRAM - OSRAM. |
