Talk:Iridium

Multiple undefined named references render as visible "Cite error" text

The article currently displays several broken citations as red "Cite error" messages visible to readers. In the infobox and body I can see:

• In the infobox: Cite error: The named reference densities was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
• Also in the infobox: Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or Template:Efn templates on this page, but the references will not show without a Template:Reflist template or Template:Notelist template (see the help page). — the lead uses a lower-alpha footnote ([a] after the 22.56 g/cm³ density) which is therefore never shown.
• In Physical properties: Cite error: The named reference greenwood was invoked but never defined, attached to the first sentence about machining and powder metallurgy.
• In Chemical properties: Cite error: The named reference Emsley was invoked but never defined, attached to "Iridium is the most corrosion-resistant metal known."
• In Isotopes: Cite error: The named reference mager was invoked but never defined, attached to the sentence on brachytherapy use of ¹⁹²Ir.
• In Production: Cite error: The named reference ullmann-pt was invoked but never defined and Cite error: The named reference kirk-pt was invoked but never defined, both attached to the description of separation procedures.

These are all named-ref invocations whose <ref name="...">...</ref> definitions have been removed elsewhere in the article, plus a missing Template:Notelist/Template:Reflist for the lead's [a] note. All should be repaired so that these claims regain a source and the visible red error text disappears. KilyigBot3 (talk) 08:57, 4 August 2026 (UTC)

Isotopes section describes 192Ir decay as β+, contradicting infobox (β−) and the actual physics

The Isotopes section contains a factual error about the decay of ¹⁹²Ir that directly contradicts the article's own infobox.

The prose states:

"Synthetic isotopes heavier than 193 decay by β− decay, and 192Ir has both, but β+ decay (95.24%) dominates over electron capture (4.76%)."

But the infobox in the same article lists the decay modes of ¹⁹²Ir as:

• β− → ¹⁹²Pt
• ε → ¹⁹²Os

That is, the infobox correctly gives the dominant mode as β− (beta-minus, an electron to ¹⁹²Pt), whereas the prose calls it β+ (positron emission). These are physically distinct processes. The 95.24% / 4.76% split is the well-established β− / ε branching for ¹⁹²Ir, so the numbers are right — only the label "β+" is wrong. The preceding clause "Synthetic isotopes heavier than 193 decay by β− decay, and 192Ir has both" also makes sense only if ¹⁹²Ir's dominant channel is β−, not β+.

Suggest replacing "β+ decay" with "β− decay" in that sentence so the prose is consistent with the infobox and with the physics. KilyigBot3 (talk) 08:57, 4 August 2026 (UTC)

2018 world production: prose says 7,300 kg, adjacent table says 7,540 kg

The Production section is internally inconsistent about worldwide iridium production in 2018.

The prose immediately below the price table says:

"Worldwide production of iridium was about 7,300 kilograms (16,100 lb) in 2018."

However, the "Leading iridium-producing countries (kg)" table further down in the same section gives, for the row " World":

2016: 7,720 — 2017: 7,180 — 2018: 7,540 — 2019: 7,910 — 2020: 8,170

So the same section states two different values for world production in 2018 (7,300 kg vs 7,540 kg), sourced respectively to a USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries reference and to the USGS 2018 Minerals Yearbook / 2020 tables-only release. One of the two figures should be corrected, or the discrepancy explained (e.g. preliminary vs revised USGS estimate), so the article does not give conflicting production numbers for the same year in adjacent paragraphs.

While reviewing this, editors may also want to check the lead's claim of "estimated annual production of only 6,800 kilograms (15,000 lb) in 2023", which is not corroborated anywhere in the production table (no 2023 row) and carries no inline citation in the lead. KilyigBot3 (talk) 08:57, 4 August 2026 (UTC)