Rhenium (Re), the last naturally-occurring element to be discovered, was discovered in Germany in 1925.   The process was so complicated and the cost so high that production was discontinued until early 1950 when tungsten-rhenium and molybdenum-rhenium alloys were prepared.   These alloys found important applications in industry that resulted in a great demand for the rhenium produced from the molybdenite fraction of porphyry copper ores.   Important uses of rhenium have been in platinum-rhenium catalysts, used primarily in producing lead-free, high-octane gasoline and in high-temperature superalloys used for jet engine components.

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Annual Publications

Mineral Commodity Summaries

• Rhenium
    PDF Format:
       | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
• Appendixes

Minerals Yearbook

• Rhenium
    PDF Format:
       | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 
    XLS Format:
       | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 tables-only release |
• Archive
       | 1932-1993 |

Special Publications

• Critical Mineral Resources of the United States--Economic and Environmental Geology and Prospects for Future Supply
  Professional Paper 1802
  • Rhenium
• Historical Statistics for Mineral and Material Commodities in the United States 
  Data Series 140
  • Rhenium
• Metal Prices in the United States through 2010
  Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5188
• Rhenium--A Rare Metal Critical to Modern Transportation 
  Fact Sheet 2014-3101