It is easy to see why ruthenium is considered a critical raw material of high strategic value. Found in only the tiniest amounts and in just a few regions, this metal has special properties with a powerful impact across multiple uses. For one of the rarest metals on Earth, ruthenium certainly punches above its weight.
A small amount of this element can have a transformative effect, from dramatically increasing a product’s hardness, durability and wear-resistance, to enabling highly complex chemical reactions.
Ruthenium is the hidden champion of the platinum group metals (PGMs), with metallurgical, technical, electrotechnical properties. Just a little ruthenium can have a big impact.
Special qualities
That impact often comes down to ruthenium’s hardness and how it behaves in coatings. It is applied in fine grains to create wear-resistant layers and can also be added to harden softer, precious metal surfaces. In jewelry and accessories, even small additions can significantly improve a product’s lifetime. As Joachim notes: “Adding just 5% of ruthenium to an alloy can make a piece last two or three times longer.”
Ruthenium’s unique qualities are also helping to advance electronics by enabling the continued miniaturization of microchips. As chips get ever smaller, the materials inside them are packed more tightly, making it increasingly difficult to prevent damage or interference – through corrosion, atomic diffusion, or the migration of metals between layers. As Joachim explains, an ultra-thin layer of ruthenium applied to materials in the microchip forms a “perfect corrosion and diffusion barrier”, helping to maintain the integrity and performance of microchips as they get smaller.
Choreographing chemistry
Beyond materials and electronics, ruthenium plays a standout role in chemistry. Christophe Le Ret, Director Business Development and Strategy for Umicore’s Precious Metals Chemistry, highlights its remarkable catalytic properties. “It’s one of the very few transition metals to be Nobel-prized, thanks to its unique qualities as a catalyst,” he says.
In 2005, the scientists Robert Grubbs, Yves Chauvin and Richard Schrock were awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for their role in unlocking the secrets of ‘metathesis’ – a chemical reaction in which molecules can be made to ‘switch partners’ to create new, more useful molecules.
The choreographer of this molecular dance is ruthenium. As such, ruthenium-based ‘Grubbs catalysts’ enable complex chemical reactions that would otherwise be far more difficult. What’s more, reactions can be managed in a stable and predictable environment and with low waste.
The impact is far-reaching. These catalysts have transformed how medicines, plastics, and advanced materials are made, supporting everything from polymers produced from renewable materials to new treatments for cancer, Alzheimer’s and HIV/AIDS. Ruthenium catalysts are also used in the production of flavors and fragrances.
Scarcity and strategic supply
Despite its wide range of applications, ruthenium’s strategic importance is shaped by its scarcity: it is not mined on its own but as a by-product of platinum and palladium, so supply cannot easily ramp up when demand spikes.
Roughly 25 tonnes of ruthenium is mined annually. That makes it one of the smallest metal markets in the world. Visualized as a cube, it would measure only around 1.5 meters on all sides.
Despite this extreme scarcity, there is strong demand for ruthenium for applications in electronics, data centers, AI and electrochemistry. According to Umicore Precious Metals Management Trader & Analyst Sven Bandilla, “tight supply and rapidly growing demand from the technology sector are driving significant volatility in ruthenium prices, which have hit new record highs several times in recent years.”
Circularity is key
When supply is constrained and prices swing, recycling becomes essential, not only for sustainability, but for security of supply. Umicore is one of the major recyclers and refiners of ruthenium, with materials returning through multiple streams, including spent catalysts, used electronics and industrial by-products.
Recovered ruthenium is largely returned to the market, while a share is reintegrated into Umicore’s own value chains, supporting its circular model where materials are recycled, refined and reintroduced into production.
In a world where such a small ingredient can unlock disproportionately impactful effects, circularity will play an increasingly important role for ruthenium, with Umicore’s expertise at the forefront. When a metal is this scarce and precious, the question of how it is managed, through recycling, collaboration, and efficient use, is just as important as the metal itself.
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