Osmium (from Ancient Greek ὀσμή (osmḗ) 'smell') is a chemical element; it has symbol Os and atomic number 76. It is a hard, brittle, bluish-white transition metal in the platinum group that is found as a trace element in alloys, mostly in platinum ores. Osmium is the densest naturally occurring element.
It is the densest of all the elements and is twice as dense as lead. Osmium has only a few uses. It is used to produce very hard alloys for fountain pen tips, instrument pivots, needles and electrical contacts. It is also used in the chemical industry as a catalyst.
Osmium (symbol: Os) is a chemical element with an atomic number of 76. This element was discovered in 1803 by chemist Smithson Tennant and has an abundance in the Earth's crust of 1.5 parts per billion. Osmium is found in period 6 of group 8 of the periodic table and is classified as a platinum metal.
Osmium's discovery is intertwined with that of its platinum group neighbor, iridium. In 1803, English chemist Smithson Tennant dissolved platinum ore in a powerful acid mixture. He observed a black residue that, upon further investigation, revealed two new elements. Tennant named the foul-smelling one osmium, derived from the Greek word "osme" meaning "smell."
Despite its initial challenges, osmium's unique properties, including its exceptional density and high melting point, have garnered scientific and industrial interest.
Osmium occurs uncombined in nature and also in the mineral osmiridium (an alloy with iridium). Most osmium is obtained commercially from the wastes of nickel refining.