# Pen tips contain rhodium and iridium?



## OMG (Oct 26, 2008)

Is this true for common pens? Should I be popping out the ball-point balls into a separate container before throwing out pens?


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## viacin (Oct 26, 2008)

Heres what I found. http://www.nibs.com/article5.html Doesn't look good.


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## Lou (Oct 26, 2008)

No, usually it's osmium and iridium and you only see that in the highest quality fountain pens from long ago, whose bodies are often made of gold and platinum. You'd have better luck reselling the pens as collectibles rather than trying to refine the milligram or so of osmiridium. 

Now it's probably some sort of hard nickel or maybe stainless alloy.
No, that I just read says they're tungsten/rhenium/ruthenium alloy. I can see that as being very durable and very hard.

Lou


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## Jehu (Oct 26, 2008)

I have seen a few new fountain pens that come Iridium tipped but as Lou said, It's not worth the effort and you can get more by reselling them.


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