Rhenium Element Information, Facts, Properties, Trends, Uses, Comparison with other elements
Rhenium is a chemical element with symbol Re and atomic number 75. It is a silvery-white, heavy, third-row Transition Metal in group 7 of the periodic table. With an estimated average concentration of 1 part per billion (ppb), rhenium is one of the rarest elements in the Earth's crust.
It belongs to group 7 of the periodic table having trivial name null. You can also download Printable Periodic Table of Elements Flashcards for Rhenium in a PDF format.
Rhenium Facts
Read key information and facts about element Rhenium
| Name | Rhenium |
| Atomic Number | 75 |
| Atomic Symbol | Re |
| Atomic Weight | 186.207 |
| Phase | Solid |
| Color | Gray |
| Appearance | silvery-grayish |
| Classification | Transition Metal |
| Natural Occurance | Primordial |
| Group in Periodic Table | 7 |
| Group Name | manganese family |
| Period in Periodic Table | period 6 |
| Block in Periodic Table | d-block |
| Electronic Configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d5 6s2 |
| Electronic Shell Structure (Electrons per shell) | 2, 8, 18, 32, 13, 2 |
| Melting Point | 3459 K |
| Boiling Point | 5869 K |
| CAS Number | CAS7440-15-5 |
How to Locate Rhenium on Periodic Table
Periodic table is arranged by atomic number, number of protons in the nucleus which is same as number of electrons. The atomic number increases from left to right. Periodic table starts at top left ( Atomic number 1) and ends at bottom right (atomic number 118). Therefore you can directly look for atomic number 75 to find Rhenium on periodic table.
Another way to read periodic table and locate an element is by using group number (column) and period number (row). To locate Rhenium on periodic table look for cross section of group 7 and period 6 in the modern periodic table.
Rhenium History
The element Rhenium was discovered by M. Ogawa in year 1908 in Germany. Rhenium was first isolated by M. Ogawa in 1919. Rhenium derived its name from Rhenus, the Latin name for the river Rhine.
| Discovered By | M. Ogawa |
| Discovery Date | 1908 in Germany |
| First Isolation | 1919 |
| Isolated by | M. Ogawa |
Ogawa found it inthorianitebut assigned it as element 43 instead of 75 and named it nipponium. In 1925 Walter Noddack,Ida Eva Tacke and Otto Bergannounced its separation from gadolinite and gave it the present name.
Rhenium Uses
Rhenium is a common catalyst in the production of high-octane gasoline. It is also used in alloys for jet engines and as filaments for mass spectrographs
Rhenium Presence: Abundance in Nature and Around Us
The table below shows the abundance of Rhenium in Universe, Sun, Meteorites, Earth's Crust, Oceans and Human Body.
| ppb by weight (1ppb =10^-7 %) | ppb by atoms (1ppb =10^-7 %) | |
|---|---|---|
| Abundance in Universe | 0.2 | 0.001 |
| Abundance in Sun | 0.1 | 0.0005 |
| Abundance in Meteorites | 50 | 5 |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | 2.6 | 0.3 |
| Abundance in Oceans | 0.001 | 0.000033 |
| Abundance in Humans | - | - |
Crystal Structure of Rhenium
The solid state structure of Rhenium is Simple Hexagonal.
The Crystal structure can be described in terms of its unit Cell. The unit Cells repeats itself in three dimensional space to form the structure.
Unit Cell Parameters
The unit cell is represented in terms of its lattice parameters, which are the lengths of the cell edges Lattice Constants (a, b and c)
| a | b | c |
|---|---|---|
| 276.1 pm | 276.1 pm | 445.6 pm |
and the angles between them Lattice Angles (alpha, beta and gamma).
| alpha | beta | gamma |
|---|---|---|
| π/2 | π/2 | 2 π/3 |
The positions of the atoms inside the unit cell are described by the set of atomic positions ( xi, yi, zi) measured from a reference lattice point.
The symmetry properties of the crystal are described by the concept of space groups. All possible symmetric arrangements of particles in three-dimensional space are described by the 230 space groups (219 distinct types, or 230 if chiral copies are considered distinct.
| Space Group Name | P63/mmc |
| Space Group Number | 194 |
| Crystal Structure | Simple Hexagonal |
| Number of atoms per unit cell |
The number of atoms per unit cell in a simple cubic, face-centered cubic and body-centred cubic are 1,4,2 respectively.
Rhenium Atomic and Orbital Properties
Rhenium atoms have 75 electrons and the electronic shell structure is [2, 8, 18, 32, 13, 2] with Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) 6S5/2.
| Atomic Number | 75 |
| Number of Electrons (with no charge) | 75 |
| Number of Protons | 75 |
| Mass Number | 186 |
| Number of Neutrons | 111 |
| Shell structure (Electrons per energy level) | 2, 8, 18, 32, 13, 2 |
| Electron Configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d5 6s2 |
| Valence Electrons | 5d5 6s2 |
| Valence (Valency) | 7 |
| Main Oxidation States | 4 |
| Oxidation States | -3, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
| Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) | 6S5/2 |
Bohr Atomic Model of Rhenium - Electrons per energy level
| n | s | p | d | f |
|---|
Ground State Electronic Configuration of Rhenium - neutral Rhenium atom
Abbreviated electronic configuration of Rhenium
The ground state abbreviated electronic configuration of Neutral Rhenium atom is [Xe] 4f14 5d5 6s2. The portion of Rhenium configuration that is equivalent to the noble gas of the preceding period, is abbreviated as [Xe]. For atoms with many electrons, this notation can become lengthy and so an abbreviated notation is used. This is important as it is the Valence electrons 5d5 6s2, electrons in the outermost shell that determine the chemical properties of the element.
Unabbreviated electronic configuration of neutral Rhenium
Complete ground state electronic configuration for the Rhenium atom, Unabbreviated electronic configuration
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d5 6s2
Electrons are filled in atomic orbitals as per the order determined by the Aufbau principle, Pauli Exclusion Principle and Hund’s Rule.
As per the Aufbau principle the electrons will occupy the orbitals having lower energies before occupying higher energy orbitals. According to this principle, electrons are filled in the following order: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f, 5d, 6p, 7s, 5f, 6d, 7p…
The Pauli exclusion principle states that a maximum of two electrons, each having opposite spins, can fit in an orbital.
Hund's rule states that every orbital in a given subshell is singly occupied by electrons before a second electron is filled in an orbital.
Atomic Structure of Rhenium
Rhenium atomic radius is 188 pm, while it's covalent radius is 159 pm.
| Atomic Radius Calculated | 188 pm(1.88 Å) |
| Atomic Radius Empirical | 135 pm (1.35 Å) |
| Atomic Volume | 8.86 cm3/mol |
| Covalent Radius | 159 pm (1.59 Å) |
| Van der Waals Radius | - |
| Neutron Cross Section | 90 |
| Neutron Mass Absorption | 0.016 |
Spectral Lines of Rhenium - Atomic Spectrum of Rhenium
A spectral line is a dark or bright line in an otherwise uniform and continuous spectrum, resulting from an excess or deficiency of photons in a narrow frequency range, compared with the nearby frequencies. Spectral lines are often used to identify atoms and molecules.
Spectral lines are the result of interaction between a quantum system and a single photon. A spectral line may be observed either as an emission line or an absorption line.
Spectral lines are highly atom-specific, and can be used to identify the chemical composition of any medium. Several elements, including helium, thallium, and caesium, were discovered by spectroscopic means. They are widely used to determine the physical conditions of stars and other celestial bodies that cannot be analyzed by other means.
Emission spectrum of Rhenium
Absorption spectrum of Rhenium
Rhenium Chemical Properties: Rhenium Ionization Energies and electron affinity
The electron affinity of Rhenium is 14.5 kJ/mol.
| Valence | 7 |
| Electronegativity | 1.9 |
| ElectronAffinity | 14.5 kJ/mol |
Ionization Energy of Rhenium
Ionization energy is the amount of energy required to remove an electron from an atom or molecule.in chemistry, this energy is expresed in kilocalories per mole (kcal/mol) or kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol).
Refer to table below for Ionization energies of Rhenium
| Ionization energy number | Enthalpy - kJ/mol |
|---|---|
| 1st | 760 |
| 2nd | 1260 |
| 3rd | 2510 |
| 4th | 3640 |
Rhenium Physical Properties
Refer to below table for Rhenium Physical Properties
| Density | 21.02 g/cm3(when liquid at m.p density is $18.9 g/cm3) |
| Molar Volume | 8.86 cm3/mol |
Elastic Properties
| Young Modulus | 463 |
| Shear Modulus | 178 GPa |
| Bulk Modulus | 370 GPa |
| Poisson Ratio | 0.3 |
Hardness of Rhenium - Tests to Measure of Hardness of Element
| Mohs Hardness | 7 MPa |
| Vickers Hardness | 2450 MPa |
| Brinell Hardness | 1320 MPa |
Rhenium Electrical Properties
Electrical resistivity measures element's electrical resistance or how strongly it resists electric current.The SI unit of electrical resistivity is the ohm-metre (Ω⋅m). While Electrical conductivity is the reciprocal of electrical resistivity. It represents a element's ability to conduct electric current. The SI unit of electrical conductivity is siemens per metre (S/m).
Rhenium is a conductor of electricity. Refer to table below for the Electrical properties of Rhenium
| Electrical conductors | Conductor |
| Electrical Conductivity | 5600000 S/m |
| Resistivity | 1.8e-7 m Ω |
| Superconducting Point | 1.7 |
Rhenium Heat and Conduction Properties
| Thermal Conductivity | 48 W/(m K) |
| Thermal Expansion | 0.0000062 /K |
Rhenium Magnetic Properties
| Magnetic Type | Paramagnetic |
| Curie Point | - |
| Mass Magnetic Susceptibility | 4.56e-9 m3/kg |
| Molar Magnetic Susceptibility | 8.49e-10 m3/mol |
| Volume Magnetic Susceptibility | 0.0000959 |
Optical Properties of Rhenium
| Refractive Index | - |
Acoustic Properties of Rhenium
| Speed of Sound | 4700 m/s |
Rhenium Thermal Properties - Enthalpies and thermodynamics
Refer to table below for Thermal properties of Rhenium
| Melting Point | 3459 K(3185.85 °C, 5766.530 °F) |
| Boiling Point | 5869 K(5595.85 °C, 10104.530 °F) |
| Critical Temperature | - |
| Superconducting Point | 1.7 |
Enthalpies of Rhenium
| Heat of Fusion | 33 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Vaporization | 705 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Combustion | - |
Rhenium Isotopes - Nuclear Properties of Rhenium
Rhenium has 35 isotopes, with between 160 and 194 nucleons. Rhenium has 1 stable naturally occuring isotopes.
Isotopes of Rhenium - Naturally occurring stable Isotopes: 185Re.
| Isotope | Z | N | Isotope Mass | % Abundance | T half | Decay Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 160Re | 75 | 85 | 160 | Synthetic | ||
| 161Re | 75 | 86 | 161 | Synthetic | ||
| 162Re | 75 | 87 | 162 | Synthetic | ||
| 163Re | 75 | 88 | 163 | Synthetic | ||
| 164Re | 75 | 89 | 164 | Synthetic | ||
| 165Re | 75 | 90 | 165 | Synthetic | ||
| 166Re | 75 | 91 | 166 | Synthetic | ||
| 167Re | 75 | 92 | 167 | Synthetic | ||
| 168Re | 75 | 93 | 168 | Synthetic | ||
| 169Re | 75 | 94 | 169 | Synthetic | ||
| 170Re | 75 | 95 | 170 | Synthetic | ||
| 171Re | 75 | 96 | 171 | Synthetic | ||
| 172Re | 75 | 97 | 172 | Synthetic | ||
| 173Re | 75 | 98 | 173 | Synthetic | ||
| 174Re | 75 | 99 | 174 | Synthetic | ||
| 175Re | 75 | 100 | 175 | Synthetic | ||
| 176Re | 75 | 101 | 176 | Synthetic | ||
| 177Re | 75 | 102 | 177 | Synthetic | ||
| 178Re | 75 | 103 | 178 | Synthetic | ||
| 179Re | 75 | 104 | 179 | Synthetic | ||
| 180Re | 75 | 105 | 180 | Synthetic | ||
| 181Re | 75 | 106 | 181 | Synthetic | ||
| 182Re | 75 | 107 | 182 | Synthetic | ||
| 183Re | 75 | 108 | 183 | Synthetic | ||
| 184Re | 75 | 109 | 184 | Synthetic | ||
| 185Re | 75 | 110 | 185 | 37.4% | Stable | N/A |
| 186Re | 75 | 111 | 186 | Synthetic | Stable | |
| 187Re | 75 | 112 | 187 | 62.6% | Stable | N/A |
| 188Re | 75 | 113 | 188 | Synthetic | ||
| 189Re | 75 | 114 | 189 | Synthetic | ||
| 190Re | 75 | 115 | 190 | Synthetic | ||
| 191Re | 75 | 116 | 191 | Synthetic | ||
| 192Re | 75 | 117 | 192 | Synthetic | ||
| 193Re | 75 | 118 | 193 | Synthetic | ||
| 194Re | 75 | 119 | 194 | Synthetic |
Regulatory and Health - Health and Safety Parameters and Guidelines
The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) identifies hazard class of all dangerous elements/goods/commodities either by its class (or division) number or name. The DOT has divided these materials into nine different categories, known as Hazard Classes.
NFPA 704 is a Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response. NFPA is a standard maintained by the US based National Fire Protection Association.
The health (blue), flammability (red), and reactivity (yellow) rating all use a numbering scale ranging from 0 to 4. A value of zero means that the element poses no hazard; a rating of four indicates extreme danger.
| NFPA Fire Rating | N/A | N/A |
| NFPA Health Rating | N/A | N/A |
| NFPA Reactivity Rating | N/A | N/A |
| NFPA Hazards | N/A |
| Autoignition Point | - |
| Flashpoint | - |
Database Search
List of unique identifiers to search the element in various chemical registry databases
| Database | Identifier number |
|---|---|
| CAS Number - Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) | CAS7440-15-5 |
| RTECS Number | RTECSVI0780000 |
| CID Number | CID23947 |
| Gmelin Number | - |
| NSC Number | - |
Compare Rhenium with other elements
Compare Rhenium with Group 7, Period 6 and Transition Metal elements of the periodic table.
Compare Rhenium with all Group 7 elements
Compare Rhenium with all Period 6 elements
Compare Rhenium with all Transition Metal elements
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about Rhenium