Rhenium (Re)

Rhenium is a silvery-white shiny and very heavy metal. The name originates from Latin Rhenus for the river "Rhein”. Rhenium is extracted from exhaust gas and scatter when smelting Molybdenum respectively Copper. In 1994 the first pure Rhenium mineral Rheniumsulfide ReS2 was discovered at the Kudriavy volcano. Main locations for the production are the US, Russia, Canada and Chile. Rhenium is mainly used as catalyst for the chemical and petrochemical industry, as well as an alloying element for Molybdenum, Tungsten and Nickel base super-alloys. Compared with Tantalum and Tungsten, Rhenium does not tend to carbide formation at high-temperature applications.

Significant Characteristics and Applications:
  • very high density, very good corrosion resistance against non-oxidizing acids
  • very high melting point and excellent heat resistance
  • no carbide formation in contact with Graphite
  • good formability and weldability
  • ductile, also after recrystallization

Rhenium is used either as alloying element or as pure metal for filaments and heating-elements for analytics, for high-temperature thermocouples, rocket propulsions and jet engine components, friction stir welding tools or superconductors.

Important Material Types and Alloys:
  • Re 99.95 % (Standard quality, mainly powder metallurgical)
  • Re 99.99+ % (Zone-refined, mainly powder metallurgical)
  • WRe3, WRe5, WRe25, WRe26 (Tungsten-Rhenium)
  • MoRe41, MoRe44.5, MoRe47.5 (Molybdenum-Rhenium)

ASTM Standard Specifications:
ASTM F73 (Tungsten-Rhenium Alloy Wire for Electron Devices and Lamps)
ASTM E696 (Tungsten-Rhenium-Alloy Thermocouple Wire)

Range of Products:
Sheets, plates, wires, rods, tubes, sputtering targets, filaments, crucibles, heating elements, miscellaneous prefabricated parts and components according to drawings.