noun
- Plural of iridosmine; natural alloys of iridium and osmium, typically occurring as hard, silvery-white minerals in platinum deposits.
Usage: technical; mineralogy; chemistry
Examples
- Iridosmines are among the rarest and most valuable minerals found in platinum ore deposits.
- The geologist identified iridosmines in the rock sample using X-ray diffraction analysis.
- Iridosmines have extremely high melting points, making them useful in specialized industrial applications.
- Mining operations in South Africa have recovered significant quantities of iridosmines alongside platinum.
- The density and hardness of iridosmines make them difficult to process and refine.