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Periodic Table of Elements

Element Rhenium - Re

Comprehensive data on the chemical element Rhenium is provided on this page; including scores of properties, element names in many languages, most known nuclides of Rhenium. Common chemical compounds are also provided for many elements. In addition technical terms are linked to their definitions and the menu contains links to related articles that are a great aid in one's studies.

Rhenium Menu

• Rhenium Page One
  • Overview of Rhenium
  • Rhenium's Name in Other Languages
  • Atomic Structure of Rhenium
  • Chemical Properties of Rhenium
  • Physical Properties of Rhenium
  • Regulatory / Health
  • Who/When/Where/How
• Rhenium Page Two
  • Nuclides / Isotopes
  • Potential Parent Nuclides

Overview of Rhenium

• Atomic Number: 75
• Group: 7
• Period: 6
• Series: Transition Metals

Rhenium's Name in Other Languages

• Latin: Rhenium
• Czech: Rhenium
• Croatian: Renij
• French: Rhénium
• German: Rhenium - s
• Italian: Renio
• Norwegian: Rhenium
• Portuguese: Rênio
• Russian: Рений
• Spanish: Renio
• Swedish: Rhenium

Atomic Structure of Rhenium

• Atomic Radius: 1.97Å
• Atomic Volume: 8.85cm³/mol
• Covalent Radius: 1.28Å
• Cross Section (Thermal Neutron Capture) σ_a/barns: 89.7
• Crystal Structure: Hexagonal

  

• Electron Configuration:

  1s² 2s²p⁶ 3s²p⁶d¹⁰ 4s²p⁶d¹⁰f¹⁴ 5s²p⁶d⁵ 6s²

• Electrons per Energy Level: 2,8,18,32,13,2

  Shell Model
  

• Ionic Radius: 0.56Å
• Filling Orbital: 5d⁵
• Number of Electrons (with no charge): 75
• Number of Neutrons (most common/stable nuclide): 111
• Number of Protons: 75
• Oxidation States: 6,4,2,-2
• Valence Electrons: 5d⁵ 6s²

  Electron Dot Model
  

Chemical Properties of Rhenium

• Electrochemical Equivalent: 0.9924g/amp-hr
• Electron Work Function: 4.96eV
• Electronegativity: 1.9 (Pauling); 1.46 (Allrod Rochow)
• Heat of Fusion: 33.2kJ/mol
• Incompatibilities:

• Ionization Potential
  • First: 7.88
• Valence Electron Potential (-eV): 180

Physical Properties of Rhenium

• Atomic Mass Average: 186.207
• Boiling Point: 5900K 5627°C 10161°F
• Coefficient of lineal thermal expansion/K^-1: 6.63E^-6
• Conductivity

  Electrical: 0.0542 10⁶/cm Ω
  Thermal: 0.479 W/cmK

• Density: 21.04g/cc @ 300K
• Description:

  Rare and expensive silver white metal, which is usually obtained as a grey powder.

• Elastic Modulus:
  • Bulk: 334/GPa
  • Rigidity: 181/GPa
  • Youngs: 466/GPa
• Enthalpy of Atomization: 791 kJ/mole @ 25°C
• Enthalpy of Fusion: 33.05 kJ/mole
• Enthalpy of Vaporization: 707.1 kJ/mole
• Flammablity Class:
• Freezing Point: see melting point
• Hardness Scale
  • Brinell: 1320 MN m^-2
  • Mohs: 7
  • Vickers: 2450 MN m^-2
• Heat of Vaporization: 715kJ/mol
• Melting Point: 3453K 3180°C 5756°F
• Molar Volume: 9.07 cm³/mole
• Physical State (at 20°C & 1atm): Solid
• Specific Heat: 0.13J/gK
• Vapor Pressure = 3.24Pa@3180°C

Regulatory / Health

• CAS Number
  • 7440-15-5
• OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL)
  • No limits set by OSHA
• OSHA PEL Vacated 1989
  • No limits set by OSHA
• NIOSH Recommended Exposure Limit (REL)
  • No limits set by NIOSH
• Levels In Humans:
  Note: this data represents naturally occuring levels of elements in the typical human, it DOES NOT represent recommended daily allowances.
  • Blood/mg dm^-3: n/a
  • Bone/p.p.m: n/a
  • Liver/p.p.m: n/a
  • Muscle/p.p.m: n/a
  • Daily Dietary Intake: n/a
  • Total Mass In Avg. 70kg human: n/a
• Discovery Year: 1925
• Name Origin:

  Greek, Rhenus for the Rhine River.

• Abundance of Rhenium:
  • Earth's Crust/p.p.m.: 0.0004
  • Seawater/p.p.m.: 0.000004
  • Atmosphere/p.p.m.: N/A
  • Sun (Relative to H=1E¹²): 2
• Sources of Rhenium:

  Found in small amounts in gadolinite and molybdenite. It is usually extracted from the flue dusts of molybdenum smelters. Annual world production is around 4.5 tons.

• Uses of Rhenium:

  It is added to tungsten and molybdenum alloys and is used in refractory metal components of missiles, electronic filaments, electrical contacts, high-temperature thermocouplers, oven filaments, electrodes, igniters for flash bulbs, jewelry, plating of metals by electrolysis and vapor-phase deposition.

• Additional Notes:

  Rhenium is a metallic element that has a very high tensile strength (80,000psi), high modulus of elasticity, is virtually insoluble in hydrochloric acid and does not oxidize or corrode in saltwater. In addition it has the widest range of valences of any element and it retains its crystalline structure all the way to its melting point. Alloys of rhenium-molybdenum are superconductive at 10K.

Rhenium Menu

• Rhenium Page One
  • Overview of Rhenium
  • Rhenium's Name in Other Languages
  • Atomic Structure of Rhenium
  • Chemical Properties of Rhenium
  • Physical Properties of Rhenium
  • Regulatory / Health
  • Who/When/Where/How
• Rhenium Page Two
  • Nuclides / Isotopes
  • Potential Parent Nuclides

References

A list of reference sources used to compile the data provided on our periodic table of elements can be found on the main periodic table page.

Related Resources

• Anatomy of the Atom
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• Molar Mass Calculations and Javascript Calculator
  Molar mass calculations are explained and there is a JavaScript calculator to aid calculations.
• Chemical Database
  This database focuses on the most common chemical compounds used in the home and industry.

Citing this page

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Kenneth Barbalace. Periodic Table of Elements - Rhenium - Re. EnvironmentalChemistry.com. 1995 - 2025. Accessed on-line: 12/14/2025
https://EnvironmentalChemistry.com/yogi/periodic/Re.html/Re.html
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