Osmiy elementi khimiyavii guruhi VIII sistemai davrii Mendeleev, raqami atomiash 76, massai atamiash 190,2; ba metallhoi platini mansub. Avvalin marotiba soli 1804 S. Tennant judo kardaast. O.-i kholis sakht va murt buda, hangomi soidan ba O.-i khoka tabdil meyobad. O. bo khosiyathoi khimiyaviash ae digar metallhoi guruhi platina farh mekunad. Vay bazan khosiyati nometalli niz zohir menamoyad.
O. hangomi dar havo tafsonidan oksid shuda, ba oksidi osmiy (0z04) tabdil meyobad. Dar sharoiti muqarrari dar kislotahoi beoksigen hal nameshavad, dar NNO3 konsentronida to O3S4 oksid meshavad. O. dar payvast- hoyash aksar vast 4 va 6 valenta ast. Hamai payvasthoi vay hangomi dar jarayoni gidrogen tafsonidan to O.-i metalli barqaror meshavand. Angidridi osmiy (0z04) dar ob, spirt va efir niz hal meshavad.
Mahluli obiash kislotai osmiat meboshad. Khokai O.-i metalli, hangomi bo ftor (210°S) tafsonidan ba OzR8, OzR6, OzR4 dar muhiti khlor boshad, ba OzS14, OzS13, OzS12 tabdil meyobad. OzO4-ro bo rohhoi gunogun barqaror karda, O.-i metalli hosil mekunand. O. va khulahoi on dar radiotekhnika, sanoati chini va beshtari payvasthoyash boshad, dar ilmi tib, suratgiri va chun katalizator istifoda meshavand.