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Platinum-group metal (PGM)
Sell ruthenium and ruthenium-bearing materials
Do you have ruthenium metal, Pt/Ru or other PGM alloys, electrical contacts, targets, coated components, electrodes or traceable production residues? Send photos, weight, provenance and assay data. For coatings, oxides and chemical residues, material form and safety must be clarified first.
Maastricht region · Benelux & international
Lot types
Which Ruthenium lots can we assess?
Ruthenium is used in electronics, electrical contacts, catalysis and specialised coatings. It can therefore occur as solid metal, a thin layer or a small part of a complex industrial product.
- Ruthenium metal, wire, targets or compact production scrap with specification
- Platinum-ruthenium and other traceable PGM alloys
- Electrical contacts, electronics-related production residues and technical parts
- Electrodes or coated components with known Ru loading or product information
- Segregated catalyst or process material only with clear provenance and composition
- Powders, oxides and chemical compounds only by prior agreement with safety documentation
Material & application
Ruthenium can be present as metal, alloy and coating
Ruthenium is a platinum-group metal used in electrical contacts, electronics, catalysis and electrochemical coatings. A component described as “ruthenium-bearing” may therefore consist largely of another substrate material.
Extra caution is required with unknown powders, oxides and chemical residues. Ruthenium tetroxide (RuO₄) is volatile, strongly oxidising and hazardous. Do not heat, grind or chemically treat unknown Ru-bearing material as a do-it-yourself identification method.
Identification
With coatings and complex parts, actual loading must be established
XRF can provide indicative information on suitable solid alloys and some coated materials. Coating thickness and substrate can affect the reading, while catalysts, powders and very low loadings often require laboratory assay.
Keep manufacturer information, part numbers, layer construction, application and previous assay data with the lot. These details help determine whether it represents a commercially meaningful Ru-bearing stream.
XRF as support for material identification
Handheld XRF can indicate ruthenium in suitable solid material, but thin coatings and complex substrates require care when interpreting the result. Unknown powders, oxides or chemical residues should not be treated as ordinary solid metal scrap.
Offer a lot
How to submit this material
State weight and location
State weight, quantity, dimensions and known carrier or substrate
Include material information
Include certificates, coating data, assay or SDS where available
Keep lots segregated
Keep unknown powders and chemical residues closed and discuss them before handling
Valuation
What determines the assessment and value?
Commercial value of ruthenium-bearing material depends on actual recoverable Ru loading, not simply the gross weight of the product. Coating, substrate and processing form therefore matter greatly.
Ruthenium content
Ru percentage or coating loading determines how much metal is actually recoverable.
Substrate & layer build
Titanium, ceramic, platinum or another substrate follows a different recovery route.
Material form
Solid metal, target, coating, powder and catalyst are not interchangeable streams.
Assay
Low contents and coatings can require specialised analytical work.
Safety & documentation
For oxides or chemicals, SDS and controlled handling are important.
Quantity
Small high-value lots can be relevant when composition is sufficiently certain.
Practical questions
Practical questions — Ruthenium
Is a ruthenium coating the same as solid ruthenium?
No. In a coating, most of the weight can be the substrate. Layer thickness, surface area and Ru loading are then important to the assessment.
Can XRF identify ruthenium?
On suitable materials XRF can provide indicative information. Thin coatings, powders, catalysts and low contents may require additional laboratory assay.
Can I simply bring in ruthenium powder or oxide?
Not without prior discussion. First provide exact product name, packaging, quantity, SDS and provenance. Do not open or process unknown Ru-bearing powders or chemicals.
Why is ruthenium used in electronics?
Ruthenium and its compounds are used in applications including chip resistors and certain electrical contacts or coatings. Recoverable quantity per component can nevertheless be small.
Related materials
Other specialist metals
Offer material
Have a ruthenium lot assessed?
Send photos, weight, material form and available information about Ru content, coating, substrate or application. For powders, oxides and chemical residues, provide SDS and provenance before any handling.