rhenium

[ ree-nee-uhm ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a rare metallic element of the manganese subgroup: used, because of its high melting point, in platinum-rhenium thermocouples. : Re; : 75; : 186.2.

rhenium

/ ˈriːnɪəm /

noun

1. a dense silvery-white metallic element that has a high melting point. It occurs principally in gadolinite and molybdenite and is used, alloyed with tungsten or molybdenum, in high-temperature thermocouples. Symbol: Re; atomic no: 75; atomic wt: 186.207; valency: –1 or 1–7; relative density: 21.02; melting pt: 3186°C; boiling pt: 5596°C (est)

rhenium

/ rē′nē-əm /

1. A very rare, dense, silvery-white metallic element with a very high melting point. It is used to make catalysts and electrical contacts. Atomic number 75; atomic weight 186.2; melting point 3,180°C; boiling point 5,627°C; specific gravity 21.02; valence 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
2. See Periodic Table

Word History and Origins

Origin of rhenium¹

1920–25; < New Latin, equivalent to Latin Rhēn ( us ) Rhine + -ium -ium

Word History and Origins

Origin of rhenium¹

C19: New Latin, from Rhēnus the Rhine

Example Sentences

"As plankton die and sink to the bottom of the ocean, that dead carbon becomes chemically reactive in a way that adds rhenium to it."

From Science Daily

Sampling river water to measure rhenium levels makes it possible to quantify CO2 release.

From Science Daily

The mine was predicted to disrupt this food chain mightily in the name of extracting rich veins of copper and gold, and potentially molybdenum and rhenium.

From Seattle Times

Other physicists at Bell Labs were exploring alloys containing metals like niobium, molybdenum and rhenium as well as a smidgen of iron.

From New York Times

To increase the signal arising from hydrogen compared with that from its surroundings, the gaskets used were made of elements lighter than tungsten and rhenium.

From Nature