iridium
13
8.1
- noun
- /ɪˈrɪdiəm/
- Specialized
:
iridio
- We reclaim gold, silver, platinum, palladium, and iridium from thin film production materials.
- platinum-iridium
- iridium concentration
And basically, it appears that mostly Iridium on Earth came in the form of asteroids and probably around the time that the mass extinction of dinosaurs.
- And basically, it appears that mostly Iridium on Earth came in the form of asteroids and probably around the time that the mass extinction of dinosaurs.
Examples
-
In a thin layer of clay, they discovered rich concentrations of iridium, a mineral rare on this planet but more abundant in space.
Academic text (1992) -
High-activity isotopes for medical applications include cesium-137, cobalt-60, iridium-192, and strontium-90.
Academic text (2012) -
A figure charges out of the darkness, arms lifting what looks like an iridium hammer.
Fiction book (2000) -
With an iridium hammer, I smack the emergency kill switch.
Fiction book (2000) -
Iridium is rare on Earth's surface but relatively common in metallic asteroids.
Academic text (2002) -
Key thing here is that beryllium-10, iridium, nickel, and gold are present in comets and meteorites.
Blog text (5) -
A thin layer of clay at the famous K-T boundary in geological strata is anomalously rich in iridium and dates from 65 million years ago.
Academic text (2002) -
D.S.A. (dimensionally stable) electrodes are titanium coated with iridium, ruthenium, and titanium oxides.
Academic text (1997) -
The concentration of iridium on that site is ten times higher than what would be expected.
-
Evidence of that catastrophe is seen today in a thin layer of iridium that covers the globe.
Synonyms
A heavy, rare metal used in strong metal mixtures and often found with platinum
Surface Forms
Morphology
iridium = irid (opaque) = irid + ium
Although '-ium' is a recognizable scientific element suffix, the bound base 'irid-' does not let a typical learner infer that the word refers to a specific metallic element.
Etymology
Iridium comes from the Latin iris, meaning 'rainbow', because some of its chemicals made many bright colors, and the same root is in iris for the eye and the flower to help you remember. So, despite the colorful name, iridium is a very hard, heavy metal used in strong parts and tools that must resist heat and wear.