23 Rhenium Uses : Facts You Should Know!

Rhenium is a transition earth metal belonging to group 7 and period 6 of the d-block in the periodic table. Let us learn about the uses of Rhenium.

The industrial uses of rhenium are listed below:

• Alloys

• Catalyst

• Electronics

• Chemical synthesis and reactions

• Nanoscience

• Electrochemistry

Alloys

• Rhenium is used to make alloys and superalloys. Rhenium-tungsten alloys are very ductile and can bear high temperatures.

• Re and platinum alloys are mixed in petroleum refineries to convert oils with low octane to high octane ratings.

• Re is a substitute for technetium alloys because of their similar chemical properties and Re is cheaper than technetium.

• Rhenium-tungsten and rhenium-molybdenum alloys are used in alloys that are used in x-ray machines and oven filaments.

• The alloys of rhenium works as electrical contact materials because they are resistive to corrosion and have less wear and tear.

• Rhenium is mixed with nickel to form alloys that are used in the making of turbine blades.

Catalyst

• Rhenium pentachloride (Re₂Cl₁₀) is not found commercially, but it was used as a catalyst in metathesis reactions in earlier ages.

• Rhenium trioxide (ReO₃) is a hydrogenation catalyst used in amide reduction in organic chemistry.

• Rhenium oxide is used as a catalyst for only some specific reactions and conditions.

Electronics

• ReO₃ exceptionally has higher electrical conductivity when compared to other oxides.

• Rhenium hexafluoride is employed commercially in the electronics industry to deposit rhenium films on electronic parts.

• ReSe₂ is potentially applied in electronics, semiconductors, thermoelectric and lasers due to its unsymmetrical lattice structure.

• Rhenium disulfide (ReS₂) is used in electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Chemical synthesis and reactions

• Re₂O₇ works well in alkene metathesis and the formation of bis-peroxy acetals.

• Rhenium heptafluoride is used in the oil refining and etching process.

• Rhenium heptafluoride can produce several synthetic compounds in organic chemistry.

• Tri-rhenium nonachloride (Re₃Cl₉) works as a base material for the producing other rhenium compounds.

• ReBr₄ is used in water treatment and crystal growth processes.

• Rhenium(VII) oxide is employed as a reagent of dehydration.

• Rhenium(VII) oxide (Re₂O₇) is found during the rearrangement of alcohols, amides, oximes and oxidative cyclization.

• Re is widely applied in the alkylation of organic compounds, reforming of petroleum feedstock and metathesis of alkenes.

Nanoscience

• Rhenium diselenide is used to prepare ReSe₂ nanoparticles and nanosheets of a few layers.

• ReS₂ nanosheets and nanoparticles are used as a fabricator for field-effect transistors, energy storage and solar cell devices.

Electrochemistry

ReS₂ is widely used in photocatalytic and electrocatalytic chemical reactions.

Conclusion:

This article concludes that Rhenium metal is less abundant and is only available in a concentration of about 1 part per billion. Re has the third highest melting and boiling point in the periodic table. Re is found useful in many industries, chemical synthesis and modern machinery.