This is a list of prices of chemical elements. Listed here are mainly average market prices for bulk trade of commodities. Data on elements' abundance in Earth's crust is added for comparison.
As of 2020[update], the most expensive non-synthetic element by both mass and volume is rhodium. It is followed by caesium, iridium and palladium by mass and iridium, gold and platinum by volume. Carbon in the form of diamond can be more expensive than rhodium. Per-kilogram prices of some synthetic radioisotopes range to trillions of dollars. While the difficulty of obtaining macroscopic samples of synthetic elements in part explains their high value, there has been interest in converting base metals to gold (Chrysopoeia) since ancient times, but only deeper understanding of nuclear physics has allowed the actual production of a tiny amount of gold from other elements for research purposes as demonstrated by Glenn Seaborg.[1][2] However, both this and other routes of synthesis of precious metals via nuclear reactions is orders of magnitude removed from economic viability.
When there is no public data on the element in its pure form, price of a compound is used, per mass of element contained. This implicitly puts the value of compounds' other constituents, and the cost of extraction of the element, at zero. For elements whose radiological properties are important, individual isotopes and isomers are listed. The price listing for radioisotopes is not exhaustive.
^Density for 0 °C, 101.325 kPa.[3] For individual isotopes except deuterium, density of base element is used. Values in parentheses are theoretical predictions.
^Unless otherwise indicated, elements are primordial – they occur naturally, and not through decay.
^Price per volume for 0 °C, 101.325 kPa, pure element. For individual isotopes except deuterium, density of base element is used.
^ Prices of hydrogen produced by distributed steam methane reforming, as predicted by H2A Production Model from United States Department of Energy,[9] assuming price of natural gas of US$3/MMBtu (US$10/MWh; US$0.10/m3). Does not include cost of storage and distribution.
^ 99.8% pure compressed deuterium gas, in lot size of 850 L (142 g). Also sold by same supplier in the form of heavy water at price of 3940 USD per kg deuterium.[12]
In 2016, Iran sold 32 tons of heavy water to United States for 1336 USD per kg deuterium.[13]
^ Crude helium sold to non-government users in United States in 2018. In the same year, stockpiles of US government helium were sold on auctions for average price of US$0.00989/L.[15]
^ abcdAverage price in November 2019. Data from China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation.
^ In the form of boric acid, price per boron contained. Min. 99% pure.
^ In the form of anthracite, price per carbon contained, assuming 90% carbon content. There is a wide variation of price of carbon depending on its form. Lower ranks of coal can be less expensive, for example sub-bituminous coal can cost around US$0.038/kg carbon.[19]Graphite flakes can cost around US$0.9/kg carbon.[20] Price of synthetic industrial diamond for grinding and polishing can range from 1200 to 13300 USD/kg, while cost per weight of large synthetic diamonds for industrial applications can be on the order of million dollars per kilogram.[21]
^ As chlorine is manufactured together with sodium hydroxide in chloralkali process, relative demand for one product changes the price for the other. When demand for sodium hydroxide is relatively high, chlorine price can fall to arbitrarily low levels, even to zero.[30]
^ In the form of medical doses of sodium pertechnetate made on-site in technetium-99m generators. Price per technetium contained. Range of prices for medical doses available in the United States. Technetium-99m has half-life of 6 hours, which limits its ability to be directly traded.
^ In the form of chemical-grade barite (barium sulfate) exported from China to United States. Price per barium contained, includes cost, insurance, and freight. Barium sulfate is the primary feedstock for production of barium chemicals.[50]
^ From Periodic Table of the Elements published on website of Radiochemistry Society. There is no further information as to source or specifics of this price.
^Fastmarkets Price[56] and Chart[57] Creator. Mid-market price from price table. Year of latest price data (2016) read from chart. Archived: table, chart (5, 7, 50, 1200 data points)
^ Only quantities of the order of millions of atoms have been obtained for research.[61] Most stable isotope, 223Fr, has half-life of 22 minutes. Francium has no commercial or medical uses.[60]
^ Radium was historically used in the treatment of cancer, but stopped being used when more effective treatments were introduced. As medical facilities had to pay for its disposal, its price can be considered negative.[62]
^ In 1959–1961 Great Britain Atomic Energy Authority produced 125 g of 99.9% pure protactinium at a cost of $500000, giving the cost of 4000000 USD per kg.[44] Periodic Table of Elements at Los Alamos National Laboratory website at one point listed protactinium-231 as available from Oak Ridge National Laboratory at a price of 280000 USD/kg.[64]
^This source also lists price of Americium-243 as 180 USD/mg, which is much higher than reported in CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics and used in this table.
^ abcdefgHammond, C. R. (2004). "The Elements". In Lide, David R. (ed.). Properties of the Elements and Inorganic Compounds (85th ed.). CRC Press. pp. 4-3 –4-36. ISBN978-0849304859. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
^ abHammond, C. R. (2016). "The Elements". In Haynes, W. M.; Lide, David R.; Bruno, Thomas J. (eds.). Properties of the Elements and Inorganic Compounds (97th ed.). CRC Press. pp. 4-3 –4-42. ISBN978-1498754286. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
^"Promethium". Radiochemistry Society. 2003. Archived from the original on 2018-11-16.
^Castor, Stephen B.; Hedrick, James B. (2006). "Rare Earth Elements". In Kogel, Jessica Elzea; Trivedi, Nikhil C.; Barker, James M.; Krukowski, Stanley T. (eds.). Industrial Minerals & Rocks: Commodities, Markets, and Uses (7th ed.). Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration. p. 785. ISBN978-0-87335-233-8. OCLC62805047.
^Orozco, Luis A. (30 September 2014). Project Closeout Report Francium trapping facility at TRIUMF (Report). United States Department of Energy. doi:10.2172/1214938. OSTI1214938.
^ abcdSilva, Robert J. (2006). "Fermium, Mendelevium, Nobelium, and Lawrencium". In Morss, Lester R.; Edelstein, Norman M.; Fuger, Jean; Katz, Joseph Jacob (eds.). The Chemistry of the Actinide and Transactinide Elements (3 ed.). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. pp. 1621–1651. doi:10.1007/1-4020-3598-5_13. ISBN978-1-4020-3555-5. OCLC262685616.