Rhodium: the most expensive metal in the car Rare, brilliant, extremely resistant to corrosion and acids. Element No. 45 — one of the most expensive precious metals in the world, without which modern automotive industry is impossible. There is an element in Dmitrii Ivanovich Mendeleev's periodic table that is both a jewel and a critically important industrial material. Its number is 45, and its name is rhodium. It is several times more expensive than gold and platinum, it is incredibly rare and has unique catalytic properties that help make the air in cities cleaner. Today, rhodium is one of the most in-demand metals in the world, and its significance continues to grow. 45Atomic number 12.41 g/cm³Density 1963 °CMelting point ~30 t/yearGlobal production Why did the element get the name 'rhodium'? The name rhodium comes from the Greek word ῥόδον (rhodon), which means 'rose'. The element got its name because of the characteristic rose-red color of one of its first chemical compounds — rhodium chloride. The discoverer of the element, the English chemist William Wollaston, was impressed by the beauty of this shade and decided to immortalize this delicate connection with the flower in the name of the metal. Why does rhodium have the atomic number 45? The atomic number 45 means that there are 45 protons in the nucleus of a rhodium atom. In the periodic table, it is located in the ninth group (by the modern classification — 9) or the VIIIB group in the old classification, in the fifth period. Rhodium belongs to the trio 'rhodium — palladium — silver' and is part of the so-called light group of platinum metals. History of discovery: another metal from platinum ore The history of the discovery of rhodium is similar to a detective story from the 19th century. In 1803, the English physician and self-taught chemist William Wollaston, already famous for the discovery of palladium, continued to stu ... Read more