Prices of Ruthenium, a rare metal widely used in advanced electronics and semiconductor manufacturing, have surged to record highs as rapidly expanding demand from the artificial intelligence sector collides with limited global supply, as reported by Reuters.
Ruthenium, a member of the Platinum Group Metals, plays a crucial role in data storage technology and semiconductor components, particularly in magnetic layers used in high-performance hard disk drives. The Star noted that the global expansion of AI data centres and cloud computing infrastructure is driving a sharp increase in demand for the metal.
Supply, however, remains constrained because ruthenium is typically produced as a by-product of platinum and nickel mining, making it difficult for producers to quickly increase output. Major production sources are concentrated in countries such as South Africa, Russia, and Zimbabwe, which dominate global platinum-group metal mining.
Economic Times says the continuing AI infrastructure boom is likely to sustain strong demand for strategic technology metals like ruthenium, reinforcing its growing importance within the global semiconductor supply chain and advanced computing industry.
