BulkIridium.com

Did You Know...

Iridium is the "dinosaur-killer" and the rarest stable metal on Earth. While it is best known for the thin layer of dust it left across the planet after the asteroid strike that wiped out the T-Rex, it has become the most expensive and strategically volatile "green" metal of 2026:

• The Hydrogen Bottleneck: Iridium is the only material that can survive the brutal, acidic environment inside a PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) Electrolyzer—the gold standard for making green hydrogen from wind and solar. In 2026, as the world races to build "Giga-factories" for hydrogen, Iridium has become a massive bottleneck. European researchers (via the SUPREME project) recently announced breakthroughs to cut iridium use by 75%, but as of May 2026, the world still needs every gram it can get.

• The 2026 Price Surge: Iridium is one of the most expensive substances on the planet. As of May 11, 2026, the spot price is hovering around $7,490 per ounce (approx. $264 per gram), which is more than triple the price of gold. Because nearly all iridium is mined in just a few square miles of South Africa, any labor strike or power outage there sends global tech markets into a tailspin.

• The "Space-Proof" Metal: Iridium is the most corrosion-resistant material known to man. It is so tough that it is used to make the crucibles for growing high-quality crystals for 5G and 6G telecommunications. It is also the "voice" of global connectivity: Iridium Communications (named after the element's atomic number, 77) operates a massive satellite constellation that provides the only 100% global coverage for the IoT devices and emergency sensors being deployed across the poles in 2026.

• The Meteorite Fingerprint: Because Iridium is "siderophilic" (iron-loving), almost all of Earth's original supply sank into the molten core billions of years ago. The Iridium we find in the crust today literally came from space. In 2026, geologists are using "Iridium-Anomalies" to map ancient asteroid impacts with more precision than ever, helping us understand the history of life and extinction on Earth.

• Sparking the Future: If you drive a high-end hybrid or internal combustion vehicle in 2026, your spark plugs likely have Iridium tips. Because Iridium has a melting point of 2,446°C, it can handle the intense heat of modern high-efficiency engines far better than platinum, allowing for smaller, cleaner-burning engines.

In fact, the world's entire annual production of Iridium is only about 7 to 9 tons—barely enough to fill the bed of a single pickup truck. Yet, without this "alien" dust, the global 2026 push for green hydrogen and global satellite connectivity would effectively grind to a halt.