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042 Molybdenum Cylinder

Pure molybdenum is a heavy, lustrous, silver-grey metal with the fifth highest melting point of all the metals. For this reason molybdenum is traded commercially as a powder and, like many of the transition metals, most is used in alloys and only a small percentage as the pure metal. These pure molybdenum cylinders weigh just over half as much as our matching tungsten cylinders.

044 Ruthenium (5 grams)

Ruthenium is another exceedingly rare member of the platinum group metals. It is a hard, corrosion resistant, silver-white metal, stable in air, except at high temperatures. It is recovered mainly as a by-product of platinum, palladium and nickel refining - native ruthenium, as well as ruthenium alloys and minerals do occur in nature but are exceptionally rare. Its main uses are as a hardener in platinum and palladium alloys, with around half being used in wear resistant electrical contacts and resistors.

The price of ruthenium belies its rarity. Not having widespread essential uses, as do palladium, platinum and rhodium, ruthenium has always been the cheapest of the platinum metals. This changed in late 2006 when a bull market driven by an increase in the amount of ruthenium used in the manufacture of computer hard drives caused the price to sky-rocket, reaching a peak of $870 (£446) per ounce on February 15th, 2007.

These arc-melted pure ruthenium pearls are considerably cheaper that that! The price shown below is for one piece. A display vial with the chemical symbol, Ru, engraved on the lid will be supplied with each order.

purity: 99.99%

size: ~mm

vial size: 44mm x 20mm

weight: 5 grams

price: £60 ex. shipping

055 Caesium

The alkali metal caesium, which becomes liquid if warmed in the hand, is one of the most reactive elements and explodes violently on contact with water. Here the sample is safely contained in a solid block of clear acrylic, which allows you to appreciate caesium’s beautiful pale golden colour. 

074 Tungsten Cylinder

Tungsten is amongst the densest of all the elements, exceeded only by rhenium, platinum, iridium, osmium and some of the transuranic elements. This cylinder exceeds an astonishing one kilogram in weight, close to theoretical density. It always surprises those picking one up for the first time and makes an ideal companion piece to our matching magnesium cylinders which, although the same size, weigh only 92 grams.