Rhenium

Rhenium was named after "Rhenus", the Latin name for the Rhine. It is a rare element (abundance 4 x 10^-4ppm in the earth’s crust) and does not occur in quantity in any ore. It is found in ores which contain molybdenum from which it can be readily recovered. The metal is obtained by hydrogen reduction of the potassium perrhenate salt, obtained by precipitation of the perrhenate ion (ReO4 )^- - from an oxidised solution. Rhenium is a silvery coloured metal which resists corrosion and oxidation but slowly tarnishes in moist air. It is soluble in nitric and sulphuric acids. Applications for the metal include its use as an alloying element with tungsten, the resulting alloy having a very high electrical resistance making it suitable for electrical filaments. Rhenium has a very high melting point and is used in high temperature thermocouples, electrical contacts and thermistors.

Symbol

Re

Discovered

1925 by W. Noddack, O. Berg and Ida Tacke in Berlin, Germany.

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Atomic number	75		Clip
Atomic / Molecular Weight	186.207	gmol-1	Clip
Density	21023	kgm-3	Clip
Lattice constant	276	fm	Clip
Melting Point	3453	K	Clip
Boiling Point	5873	K	Clip
Specific heat capacity	138	Jkg-1K-1	Clip
Thermal conductivity	49	Wm-1K-1	Clip

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See also: Periodic Table.