Periodic Table

Rhenium

Transition Metal

Quick Facts about Rhenium

W
  • solid- state of matter at room temperature
  • Stable- has at least one stable isotope
  • +7, +6, +4- common oxidation states in compounds
  • HEX- crystal structure, atomic arrangement in solid form
Os

Rhenium (Re) is element 75 on the periodic table. Atomic mass of Re: 186.2100 u. Re is in period 6, group 7. Melting point of Re: 3459.00 K.Density of Re: 21.02 g/cm³.

Why Rhenium Matters

Rhenium in everyday life and industry

Industry Uses

AerospaceJet engine turbine blades use rhenium superalloys for extreme heat resistance (over 80% of production)
ChemicalPlatinum-rhenium catalysts are essential for high-octane gasoline production
ScientificMass spectrometer filaments and high-temperature thermocouples use rhenium
GeoscienceRe-Os dating tracks ore formation and meteorite ages

In Your Body

✗ Not essential

Rhenium has no known biological role. Some rhenium compounds are being researched for cancer imaging and therapy. Very little is known about rhenium's effects in living organisms.

Safety: The metal is generally considered non-toxic.

Discovery of Rhenium

Discovered by Walter Noddack, Ida Tacke, Otto Berg in Germany, 1925

Name origin: Latin: Rhenus, the Rhine River.

History & Events

1925
Last naturally occurring stable element to be isolated (1925)
1925
Named after the Rhine River in Germany
1925
Discovered by Noddack, Tacke, and Berg in Germany
1925
One of the rarest elements in Earth's crust

About Rhenium

Rhenium has the highest boiling point of any element (5903 K) and the second-highest melting point after tungsten. Two natural isotopes exist: stable Re-185 (37.4%) and radioactive Re-187 (62.6%, t1/2 = 4.12×1010 years). Re-187 decays to Os-187, forming the basis of Re-Os geochronology for dating ore deposits and meteorites. Extracted as a byproduct of molybdenum refining, it is one of the rarest elements in Earth's crust.

Atomic Properties of Re

Atomic Number of Re
75
Atomic Mass of Re
186.2100 u
Electron Configuration
[Xe] 4f14 5d5 6s2
Electronegativity
1.90
Block
d-block
Group
7
Period
6

Physical Properties of Re

Phase (STP)
solid
Melting Point of Re
3459.00 K
Boiling Point of Re
5903.00 K
Density of Re
21.0200 g/cm3

Thermal Properties

Heat of Fusion
34.00 kJ/mol
Heat of Vaporization
704.00 kJ/mol
Specific Heat
0.14 J/g·K
Molar Heat Capacity
25.48 J/mol·K
Thermal Conductivity
48.00 W/m·K

Atomic Radii

Calculated
135 pm
Covalent
131 pm
Van der Waals
216 pm
Metallic
128 pm

Common Misconceptions

Wrong:Rhenium only comes from Germany since it's named after the Rhine.
Correct:Chile produces over half the world's rhenium, extracted as a byproduct of copper-molybdenum mining. Kazakhstan and the US are other major producers.
Wrong:Rhenium is the most expensive metal because it's so rare.
Correct:While expensive (~$3000/kg), rhodium, platinum, and gold often cost more. Rhenium's price reflects both scarcity and concentrated demand from the jet engine industry.
Wrong:Re-187 is stable like most heavy elements.
Correct:Re-187 (62.6% of natural rhenium) is radioactive with a 41-billion-year half-life. Its decay to Os-187 is the basis of Re-Os geochronology, used to date ore deposits and meteorites.

Isotopes of Rhenium

Rhenium has 1 naturally occurring isotope, plus 3 notable radioactive isotopes.

IsotopeAtomic Mass (u)AbundanceHalf-LifeDecay Mode
18575Re (Re-185)Rhenium-185 isotope184.952954537.40%——
18675Re (Re-186)Rhenium-186 isotope185.95498610%3.72 daysβ⁻, EC
18775Re (Re-187)Rhenium-187 isotope186.955750162.60%4.12×10¹⁰ yearsβ⁻
18875Re (Re-188)Rhenium-188 isotope187.95811150%17.0 hoursβ⁻

Data source: NIH PubChem (aggregated from IUPAC, NIST)

Isotope Applications

Isotopes of Rhenium have important real-world applications in science and industry.

Geochronology & Dating

The rhenium-osmium dating method is of special interest for the dating of rhenium-bearing ores, gold deposits, copper-nickel deposits, and meteorites. This method is based on the beta-decay of 187Re (having a half-life of 41.6×109 years) to 187Os, an example of which appears in Fig. IUPAC.75.1 [515].

Medical Applications

186Re (with a half-life of 89 h) is a beta-emitting radioisotope that is used for cancer treatment, in particular for pain relief in bone cancer and in rheumatoid arthritis (see radiosynovectomy). It is produced from the stable isotope 185Re via the 185Re (n, γ) 186Re reaction [188]. 186Re is also used for radiolabeling of cancer therapeutic agents [188]. 188Re (with a half-life of 17 h) is used to irradiate coronary arteries with beta particles during insertion of an angioplasty balloon (a tiny balloon that is inserted into an artery and inflated to flatten plaque build-up and improve blood flow) and in palliative therapy, particularly for bone metastases. The beta irradiation can decrease scar tissue formation after the overstretching of arteries by angioplasty.

Abundance

Earth's Crust
7.00×10-4 mg/kg
Seawater
4.00×10-6 mg/L

Uses

Over 80% of rhenium goes into nickel-based superalloys for jet engine turbine blades, enabling operation at higher temperatures and greater efficiency. Platinum-rhenium catalysts are essential for high-octane gasoline production. Re-Os dating is used to date ore deposits and track early solar system evolution.

Sources

Found in small amounts in gadolinite and molybdenite. Has a very high melting point.

Geochemistry

Goldschmidt
siderophile

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