Ruthenium Substitutes: Alternatives and Trade-offs
Facts checked against sources on . How we check facts.
Ruthenium can be replaced in some applications and not in others. For industrial end uses, USGS names one platinum-group metal can substitute for another, with losses in efficiency.
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official critical minerals lists (US, EU, Australia, Canada) that include ruthenium
What is ruthenium used for?
- Platinum-group metal uses: USGS does not split platinum-group metal uses by metal. The leading use is catalytic converters that cut harmful emissions from automobiles. Other uses it names are catalysts for bulk chemical production and petroleum refining, dental and medical devices, electronics (computer hard disks, hybridized integrated circuits and multilayer ceramic capacitors), glass manufacturing, investment, jewelry and laboratory equipment.
- Electrical contacts: USGS lists platinum-ruthenium as a substitute for rhenium in coatings for electrical contacts
Which materials can replace ruthenium?
| Application | Substitute and trade-off |
|---|---|
| Industrial end uses | One platinum-group metal can substitute for another, with losses in efficiency |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Platinum-group metals. USGS says substitutes often cost performance or money; the table gives its wording for each application.
Frequently asked questions
What can replace ruthenium?
Industrial end uses: one platinum-group metal can substitute for another, with losses in efficiency.
What is ruthenium used for?
Ruthenium is used in platinum-group metal uses and electrical contacts. Platinum-group metal uses: USGS does not split platinum-group metal uses by metal. The leading use is catalytic converters that cut harmful emissions from automobiles. Other uses it names are catalysts for bulk chemical production and petroleum refining, dental and medical devices, electronics (computer hard disks, hybridized integrated circuits and multilayer ceramic capacitors), glass manufacturing, investment, jewelry and laboratory equipment.
Can ruthenium be recycled?
About 140,000 kilograms of palladium and platinum were recovered globally from new and old scrap in 2025, including about 50,000 kilograms of palladium and 8,600 kilograms of platinum from automobile catalytic converters in the United States.
Is ruthenium a critical mineral?
Yes. Ruthenium is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian. Ruthenium was already on the 2022 US list and stays on the final 2025 list of 60 minerals. USGS does not estimate US net import reliance for ruthenium.
Sources
Read on October 13, 2026. Figures on this page come from these documents; where a number is an estimate, the source says so.
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Platinum-group metals. Production, reserves, uses, substitutes, recycling and events
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: introduction (Table 7 and Figures 10A and 10B). Net import reliance, leading producer and price changes for critical minerals
- Federal Register: Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals
- EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2024/1252
- Department of Industry, Science and Resources: Australia’s Critical Minerals List and Strategic Materials List
- Government of Canada: Canada’s critical minerals
- Impala Platinum: Annual Integrated Report for the year to 30 June 2026
- Valterra Platinum: 2026 interim results short-form announcement
- Sibanye-Stillwater: Form 6-K with results for the half-year ended 30 June 2026 (1 September 2026)
- Johnson Matthey: 2026 PGM market report release (14 May 2026)
- Heraeus Precious Metals: release with Sibanye-Stillwater (14 November 2023)
Related topics
Ruthenium: full profile
Uses, producers, price, substitutes and critical list status for ruthenium.
Ruthenium supply chain and top producers
The supply chain page for ruthenium.
Critical Minerals Lists Compared
The US, EU, Australian and Canadian lists side by side.
Platinum Group Metals
The six platinum-group metals and their supply.
Iridium
Profile of iridium.
Palladium
Profile of palladium.
