Re
Rhenium
Element 75 · Transition metal
Rhenium (Re)
Rhenium is one of the rarest elements in Earth’s crust. It has the third-highest melting point and is key to jet engine blades.
- Transition metal
- Period 6
- Group 7
- d-block
- solid at room temperature
Key properties
- Atomic mass
- 186.207
- u
- Electron configuration
- [Xe] 4f14 5d5 6s2
- Melting point
- 3,185.9 °C
- 3,459 K
- Boiling point
- 5,595.9 °C
- 5,869 K
- Density
- 20.8 g/cm³
- Electronegativity
- 1.9
- Pauling
- Atomic radius
- 217 pm
- van der Waals
- 1st ionisation energy
- 7.88 eV
Compare with every element:Electronegativity chartAtomic radius chartIonisation energy chartDensity chart of the elementsMelting point chartElectron configuration chart
Did you know?
Notable facts about rhenium
- 01
It was the last stable element to be discovered.
- 02
Single-crystal nickel superalloys with rhenium let jet turbine blades run hotter.
- 03
Rhenium is obtained as a side product of refining copper and molybdenum ores.
Applications
What is rhenium used for?
- Jet engine superalloys
- Petroleum reforming catalysts
- Thermocouples
- X-ray tube targets
History
Discovery & name origin
Discovered by
Year
Where
Germany
Name origin
Latin Rhenus, “Rhine”.
Atomic structure
Atomic properties
Atomic structure
Atomic properties
- Atomic number
- 75
- Atomic mass
- 186.207 u
- Group
- 7
- Period
- 6
- Block
- d-block
- Electron configuration
- [Xe] 4f14 5d5 6s2
- Full configuration
- 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 4p6 5s2 4d10 5p6 6s2 4f14 5d5
- Electrons per shell
- 2, 8, 18, 32, 13, 2
- Electronegativity (Pauling)
- 1.9
- Electron affinity
- 0.15 eV
- Atomic radius (van der Waals)
- 217 pm
- Stable isotopes
- 1
Oxidation states
Highlighted: common oxidation states (+7, +6, +4).
Successive ionisation energies
Energy to remove each electron in turn (kJ/mol). Big jumps show where a new, inner shell begins.
- 1st760
- 2nd1,260
- 3rd2,510
- 4th3,640
Physical
Physical properties & colour
Physical
Physical properties & colour
- State at 20 °C
- Solid
- Melting point
- 3,459 K · 3,185.9 °C · 5,766.5 °F
- Boiling point
- 5,869 K · 5,595.9 °C · 10,104.5 °F
- Density
- 20.8 g/cm³
- Molar heat capacity
- 25.48 J/(mol·K)
- Appearance
- Silvery-greyish
- CPK model colour
- Copied
The CPK colour is the convention used for this element’s atoms in molecular models.
FAQ
Rhenium questions
What is Re on the periodic table?
Re is the symbol for rhenium, element 75 on the periodic table. It sits in group 7, period 6, in the transition metal category, and has an atomic mass of 186.207.
What is the atomic number of rhenium?
Rhenium has atomic number 75, so every rhenium atom has 75 protons in its nucleus. Its symbol is Re and its atomic mass is 186.207.
Who discovered rhenium?
Rhenium was discovered by Walter Noddack, Ida Tacke and Otto Berg in 1925 (Germany). The name comes from Latin Rhenus, “Rhine”.
What is rhenium used for?
Rhenium is used for: jet engine superalloys; petroleum reforming catalysts; thermocouples; X-ray tube targets.
Is rhenium a metal?
Yes. Rhenium is a transition metal, one of the metallic elements.
What is the electron configuration of rhenium?
The electron configuration of rhenium is [Xe] 4f14 5d5 6s2. Its 75 electrons are arranged in shells as 2, 8, 18, 32, 13, 2.