Iridium
Atomic Number: 77
Iridium is the 77th element in the periodic table and it is one of the transition metals. It is a very hard, brittle, silvery-white metal of the platinum group which consists of ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, and platinum. Iridium is the second densest metal with a density of 22.56 g/cm³. Also, iridium is the most corrosion-resistant material known. For these reasons it can be useful in many things such as alloys. Iridium's main function is to make platinum alloys stronger. It can also be used in the aircraft industry and the tech industry. Iridium is one of the rarest elements in the earths crust. Therefore, it is very expensive, but it is not only expensive because of how common it's found. Iridium's demand in very high as it can useful in many industries. Iridium-containing ores are found in mostly South Africa but also in Alaska. Iridium was discovered together with osmium in 1803 by Smithson Tennant in London.
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