Atomic number 77
Atomic mass 192,22
Density, kg / m? 22400
Temperature
melting, ° С 2410
Iridium is a very hard, refractory, silvery-white transition metal of the platinum group, which has a high density and is comparable in this parameter only with osmium. It has high corrosion resistance even at a temperature of 2000 ° C.
The element was discovered in 1804 by the English chemist S. Tennant (1761-1815) and named "Iridium" (from the Greek iris, genus iridos - rainbow) due to the varied colors of its salts. It is rarely found in the earth's crust, mainly as a satellite of platinum. & Nbsp;