| Element | Ruthenium |
| Symbol | Ru |
| Atomic Mass | 101.07 |
| Atomic Number | 44 |
| Name Origins | Latin, Ruthenia = Russia |
| Year Discovered | 1808 |
| Discovered Credits | Discovered by J. A. Sinadecki at University of Vilno, Poland. Rediscovered in 1828 by G. W. Osann at University of Tartu, Russia. |
| Remarks | Lustrous, silvery metal of the platinum group. Unaffected by air, water and acids but dissolves in molten alkali. Used to harden Pt and Pd, and as a catalyst. |
| Diagnostic Tests | There are no simple chemical tests for ruthenium. The element is usually found as an alloy or a sulfide mineral with other platinum group metals. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy is used for quantitative analysis and Energy Dispersive Analysis of X-rays (EDAX) is used for qualitative analysis. |
| References | Emsley, J., 1991; THE ELEMENTS : Sec. Ed., Clarendon Press, Oxford, 251 p. |