Hard disks, improved storage capacity

Ruthenium is a hard, white metal. It does not tarnish at room temperature and is not attacked by acids, not even aqua regia. If potassium chlorate is added, however, the reaction is explosive. Ruthenium is used as an alloying element for platinum and palladium, making these metals harder by soluhon hardening. Such alloys have a high resistance to wear and are used in the manufacture of tips for fountain-pen nibs. A content of 0.1% Ru in titanium improves the corrosion resistance of this metal. Stable anodes for chlorine production are made of titanium, coated with ruthenium. A new technique for improved storage capacity on hard disks uses ruthenium. 

A new technique for an improved storage capacity on hard disks uses ruthenium. The product, called AFC media (antiferromagnetically coupled) has a thin layer, three atoms thick, of ruthenium between two magnetic layers on a disk. According to IBM, who have developed this product, it will be possible to store 100 gigabits of data per square inch of this hard disk. 

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