Re: How to dissolve powdered ruthenium metal in aqueous solvent?


Marvin wrote:
> Wilco Oelen wrote:
> > Hello,
> >
> > I tried to dissolve some grey, finely divided powdered ruthenium
metal.
> > According to many sites, the metal is oxidized explosively by an
acidic
> > solution with chlorate added. Some examples of such sites:
> >
> > http://www.lenntech.com/Periodic-chart-elements/Ru-en.htm
> >
http://www.webelements.com/webelements/scholar/elements/ruthenium/key.html
> >
> > I carefully tried adding KClO3 and NaClO3 to concentrated HCl, 30%
> > H2SO4 and aqua regia. With HCl and aqua regia this results in
formation
> > of chlorine and deep yellow chlorine dioxide (which scared me
somewhat
> > because of its explosive nature), but not the smallest amount of
the
> > metal dissolves. I even had the courage to heat the solutions by
> > placing the test tube in a small pot with hot water, but even that
did
> > not result in dissolving the metal.
> >
> > I'm stuck with it now. Why do so many sites mention this as a
method of
> > dissolving ruthenium? What am I doing wrong? Does anyone know an
> > aqueous method for dissolving the metal, without the need to use
molten
> > alkalies and molten oxidizers?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Wilco
> >
> The powdered metla is probably coated with the oxide, or even
completely converted to
> oxide. Look up a way to dissolve the oxide.
No, I don't think so. It was sold to me as 99.96+ ruthenium metal.
There may be some oxide in it, but completely converted to oxide seems
very unrealistic to me, the more because the metal is very unreactive.

Wilco

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