It consists of iron (Fe), ruthenium (Ru), osmium (Os) and hassium (Hs).

The elements in this group are all transition metals that lie in the d-block of the periodic table.

Like other groups, the members of this family show patterns in electron configuration, especially in the outermost shells, resulting in trends in chemical behavior.

Because it hardens platinum and palladium alloys, ruthenium is used in electrical contacts, where a thin film is sufficient to achieve the desired durability.

With its similar properties to and lower cost than rhodium, electric contacts are a major use of ruthenium.

The ruthenium plate is applied to the electrical contact and electrode base metal by electroplating or sputtering.

Because of its hardness, brittleness, low vapor pressure (the lowest of the platinum-group metals), and very high melting point (the fourth highest of all elements, after carbon, tungsten, and rhenium), solid osmium is difficult to machine, form, or work.

Though despite its radioactivity, chemists have formed hassium tetroxide and sodium hassate(VII) through various means.

Iron is commercially produced by heating these minerals in a blast furnace with coke and calcium carbonate.