Rhodium

What was discovered

Wollaston isolated it from South American platinum ore, after separating out palladium, by the pink colour of its salts.

The name comes from the Greek 'rhodon', rose.

What it led to

• Three-way automotive catalysts
• Platinum-rhodium thermocouples
• Jewellery and mirror finishing

Built on

• Wollaston's platinum refining
• Aqua regia

Made possible

• Car catalytic converter
• Pt-Rh thermocouple

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