Osmium wedding ring

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Anyone know how to go about this?

It is used in atomic bombs and alloying with platinum.

Not nice to heat and oxidize it - poisonous gases etc.

A good client wants us to make one - anyuone got any clues?

 

[Larissa]

Sounds interesting:

* Name: osmium
* Symbol: Os
* Atomic number: 76
* Atomic weight: 190.23 (3) g
* CAS Registry ID: 7440-04-2
* Group number: 8
* Group name: Precious metal or Platinum group metal
* Period number: 6
* Block: d-block

Osmium metal is lustrous, bluish white, extremely hard, and brittle even at high temperatures. It has the highest melting point and lowest vapour pressure of the platinum group. The metal is very difficult to fabricate, but the powder can be sintered in a hydrogen atmosphere at a temperature of 2000°C. The solid metal is not affected by air at room temperature, but the powdered or spongy metal slowly gives off osmium tetroxide, which is a powerful oxidising agent and has a strong smell. The tetroxide is highly toxic, and boils at 130°C (760 mm). Concentrations in air as low as 10-7 g m-3 can cause lung congestion, skin damage, or eye damage.

Do you know why this client wants a osmium ring? It sounds quite complex to work with and if someone requested this they must have a reason...right?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Thx Larrisa - it seems like an industrial manufacturing process is required - but i thought if I can get some sheet then I can saw out (or diamond burr out) several rings blank, drill them in 4 places and rivet them together to make an interesting mens ring.

No heating required and my research so far indicates that the toxicity is only a problem when the stuff is heated and gives of the nasty tetraoxide. After all this is a metal from the noble rare earths group on the table that are by definition (I thought) fairly inert.

Any nuclear bomb specialists or budding terrorist who have some experiance with this stuff out there to offer any advice?

Perhaps there is an Al XXXX site out there with a Forum in English?

 

[boonerings]

Garry, you might see if it''s available in bar form if it''s not horrendously expensive. It can probably be turned on a CNC lathe like a titanium ring. I turn most rings to around a size 11 from 1" bar stock. A piece around 1.5" long will be enough to grip on and turn a ring from. I''d try it myself if it weren''t for the toxic thing. There may be some job shop type manufacturers that are experienced with working with it.

 

[Larissa]

This sounds silly, but I''m really truly interested in knowing how this works out when it''s all said and done (says the person who bought his engagement ring based on qualities by studying the periodic table of elements).