From the Greek word rhodon, rose
Rhodium was discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston in London.
He used crude platinum ore presumably obtained from South America.
The introduction of the three way catalytic converter by Volvo in 1976 increased the demand for rhodium.
Rhodium metal does not normally form an oxide, even when heated
Abundance in Earth's crust
7×10-8%
Abundance in Universe
6×10-8%
The element's major use is as one of the catalysts in the three-way catalytic converters in automobiles.
Rhodium is used as an alloying agent for hardening and improving the corrosion resistance of platinum and palladium.
It is also used as a filter in mammography systems because of the characteristic X-rays it produces.
Rhodium is also used for jewelry and for decorations.
Rhodium is considered to be non-toxic
