Lustrous silvery metal of the platinum group. Unaffected by
air, water, and acids, but dissolves in molten alkalis. Smells, due to
formation of volatile OsO4. Used in alloys and catalysts.
Diagnostic tests:
There are no simple chemical tests for osmium. 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.
(* - Mineral Name Is Not IMA Approved)
(! - New Dana classification added or changed from Danas New Mineralogy)
(? - IMA Discredited Mineral Species Name)
There are 10 minerals with Os in the Mineralogy Database.