It’s Element-ary, Number Thirty-Eight!

This month we move on to the next of the transition elements: rhenium. Rhenium is a very rare and very expensive substance. And, it was the last stable, naturally occurring element to be discovered. Rhenium is extremely hard and heat resistant and comes in handy for jet-engine and rocket-booster superalloys.

rhenium – discovered in 1925 A.D.

Symbol: Re
Atomic number: 75
Atomic weight: 186.21
Density: 21.02 g/cm³
Melting point: 3,186°C (5,767°F)
Boiling point: 5,596°C (10,105°F)
Color: white-gray
Standard state: solid at 25°C (77°F)
Classification: metallic

Source: The Complete Periodic Table: Elements with Style, by Adrian Dingle and Dan Green.

Tags: Adrian Dingle, Chemistry, Dan Green, Facts, General Musings, Periodic Table of Elements, Rhenium, The Complete Periodic Table: Elements with Style