Rhenium

Atomic Number: 75
Symbol: Re
Atomic Mass: 186.21 u
Number of Neutrons: 111
Melting Point: 3185°C
Boiling Point: 5597°C
Electrons per shell: 2.8.18.32.13.2
Electron configuration: [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d⁵ 6s²

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Rhenium is the 75th element in the periodic table and it is one of the transition metals. It is a silvery-gray, heavy metal. Rhenium is one of the rarest elements in the earth's crust. Therefore, it is very expesive. It cost around $1,300 per kilogram. Rhenium is found in the ground in minerals and ores. It's abundance is about 0.001 parts per million in the earths crust. It is a byproduct of refining copper ore or molybdenum. There are no rhenium mines but it is found in molybdenum mines which can be located in USA, Chile, Canada and Russia. Most rhenium isotopes are radioactive with a half life of 40 billion years but some isotopes are stable. It has an extremely high melting point so it can be used for strong alloys. These alloys can be used in x-ray machines. Ruthenium was discovered by Karl Karlovich Klaus, a Russian chemist, in 1844. Though, the isolation of rhenium was finally achieved in 1925 by Walter Noddack and Ida Tacke.

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