Osmium () is a chemical element that has the symbol Os and atomic number 76. Osmium is a hard, brittle, blue-gray or blue-black transition metal in the platinum family, and is one of the densest natural elements, competing for this status with iridium. Osmium is used in alloys with platinum, iridium and other platinum group metals. Osmium is found in nature as an alloy in platinum ore. Alloys of osmium are employed in fountain pen tips, electrical contacts and in other applications where extreme durability and hardness are needed. Notable characteristics Osmium in a metallic form is extremely dense, blue-white, brittle, and lustrous even at high temperatures, but proves to be extremely difficult to make. Powdered osmium is easier to make, but powdered osmium exposed to air leads to the formation of osmium tetroxide (OsO4), which is very toxic. The tetroxide

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z # TAGS