Bar and Rod
Plate and Sheet
Strip
Pipe and Tube
Wire
Welding
Powder Material
Cast Products
Forged Products
Fittings
Fastening
Round Bar:
φ2–500 mm, 1–6 m length
Flat/Square Bar:
4–100 mm thickness/width
Hex Bar:
A/F 3–100 mm
Hollow Bar:
OD 20–300 mm
Sheet:
0.3–6 mm thickness
Medium Plate:
6–25 mm thickness
Heavy Plate:
25–100 mm thickness
Standard Strip:
0.05–3 mm thick,
10–600 mm wide
Precision strip:
0.01–0.5 mm thick,
tight tolerance ±0.005 mm
Foil:
0.005–0.1 mm thick
Seamless Tube:
OD 6–450 mm,
WT 1–50 mm,
1–12 m length
Welded Tube:
OD 10–600 mm,
WT 1–20 mm
Capillary Tube:
OD 1–10 mm,
WT 0.1–2 mm
Wire Form:
Cold Drawn Wire,
Bright Wire,
Spring Wire,
Fine Wire,
Ultra-fine Wire
General Diameter:
φ0.1–10 mm
Coil Weight:
50–500 kg,
customizable tolerance
Solid Wire:
φ0.8–4.0 mm
Flux-cored Wire:
φ1.2–4.0 mm
Welding Rod:
φ2.0–5.0 mm
Powder Form:
AM 3D Printing Powder,
Spherical Powder,
Gas-atomized Powder,
Water-atomized Powder
Particle Size:
10–150 μm
Sphericity:
≥90% for AM grade
Cast Ingot:
φ200–800 mm
Precision Casting:
min wall 0.5 mm
Cast Pipe:
OD 100–600 mm,
WT 10–50 mm
Forged Bar:
Φ35–500 mm
Forged Ring:
OD 200–2000 mm
Forging Weight:
1–5000 kg
Fittings Form:
Elbow, Tee, Reducer, Flange, Cap, Outlet, Lap Joint
Size range:
1/2''–24'' (DN15–DN600)
Wall thickness:
Sch10–Sch160, STD, XS, XXS
Pressure Class:
150–2500 LB
Fastening Form:
Bolt, Nut, Screw, Stud, Washer, Pin, Rivet
Metric: M3–M64
Imperial: #4–2.5''
Length: 6–500 mm
Pure Rhenium is unalloyed rhenium, a silvery-grey refractory metal with one of the highest melting points of all elements. This datasheet presents the material within the American (ASTM / UNS) standard system.
Rhenium has the second-highest melting point of any metal (after tungsten) and the highest of any metal that remains usable without a ductile-to-brittle transition concern in the way tungsten and molybdenum suffer — it stays ductile after recrystallisation. It has a very high density, high elastic modulus, excellent high-temperature strength and creep resistance, and good wear and corrosion resistance. Because it has no ductile-to-brittle transition and does not form carbides, it is added to tungsten and molybdenum to improve their ductility and to nickel superalloys to raise creep strength. Pure rhenium is consolidated by powder metallurgy (pressing and sintering) to high-purity grades and worked by rolling and swaging. It oxidises in air above about 600 °C, forming volatile oxides, so high-temperature use is in vacuum, inert or reducing atmospheres.
Typical applications include high-temperature thermocouples, heating elements and filaments, rocket and thruster components, electrical contacts, and as an alloying addition to superalloys and refractory metals.
| Property | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Density | 21.0 | g/cm³ |
| Melting point | 3186 | °C |
| Elastic modulus | 463 | GPa |
| Coefficient of thermal expansion (20–100 °C) | 6.2 | µm/m·°C |
| Thermal conductivity (20 °C) | 48 | W/m·K |
| Specific heat (20 °C) | 137 | J/kg·K |
| Structure | Hexagonal close-packed (HCP) | — |
| Element | Symbol | Min % | Max % | Role in Alloy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhenium | Re | 99.99 | — | Base element |
| Molybdenum | Mo | — | 0.002 | Residual impurity |
| Tungsten | W | — | 0.002 | Residual impurity |
| Iron | Fe | — | 0.002 | Residual impurity |
| Oxygen | O | — | 0.005 | Interstitial impurity |
| Carbon | C | — | 0.002 | Interstitial impurity |
| Nitrogen | N | — | 0.002 | Interstitial impurity |
Annealed / worked condition, typical values for high-purity rhenium.
| Condition | Property | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Annealed | Tensile strength (UTS) | ≥1170 MPa (170 ksi) |
| Annealed | 0.2% yield strength | ≥290 MPa (42 ksi) |
| Annealed | Elongation at break | ≥15 % |
| Cold-worked | Tensile strength (UTS) | up to ~2000 MPa |
| — | Elastic modulus | 463 GPa |
Confirm against the mill test report. Rhenium work-hardens rapidly to very high strength and, unlike tungsten and molybdenum, retains ductility after recrystallisation.
| Environment | Performance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Reducing / inert atmospheres | Excellent | Preferred high-temperature environment |
| Vacuum service | Excellent | Stable; high-temperature use |
| Hydrochloric acid | Good | Resistant |
| Nitric / sulfuric acids | Poor | Attacked (oxidizing) |
| Oxidizing air (>600 °C) | Poor | Forms volatile oxides; must be protected |
Rhenium resists hydrochloric acid and performs well in vacuum and reducing/inert atmospheres but is attacked by oxidizing acids and oxidises in air above about 600 °C, forming volatile rhenium oxides.
A refractory metal; not hardenable by precipitation. Properties are governed by working and annealing.
Anneal Anneal in vacuum, hydrogen or a high-purity inert atmosphere (typically about 1600–1700 °C) to recrystallise and restore ductility after cold work. Unlike tungsten and molybdenum, rhenium remains ductile after recrystallisation. Protect from oxidation at temperature.
Joined mainly by resistance and electron-beam welding under protection; rhenium must be shielded from oxidation, and brazing is also used. The high recrystallised ductility aids fabrication relative to other refractory metals.
| Welding Process | Applicability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| EBW (vacuum) | Good | Preferred for clean joints |
| Resistance / spot | Good | Common for filaments and contacts |
| Brazing | Good | Alternative joining method |
Join in vacuum or under high-purity shielding; protect from oxidation at temperature.
Machining Guidelines
| Parameter | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Machinability | Difficult; work-hardens rapidly; grinding/EDM often used |
| Tooling | Sharp carbide; rigid setups |
| Coolant | Ample coolant |
Forming Processes
| Process | Notes |
|---|---|
| Cold forming | Work-hardens rapidly; frequent intermediate anneals |
| Hot forming | Rolled and swaged hot; protect from oxidation |
| Industry | Typical Components | Key Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| High-temperature | Thermocouples, heating elements, filaments | Highest-class melting point + ductility |
| Aerospace / propulsion | Thruster and rocket components | High-temperature strength |
| Superalloys / refractory | Alloying addition (Ni superalloys, W, Mo) | Creep strength; ductilisation |
| Electronics | Electrical contacts, mass-spectrometer filaments | Stability + wear resistance |
| Product Form | Standard / Designation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sheet, foil, rod and wire | High-purity grade | 99.99% / 99.999% |
| Powder | High-purity grade | PM feedstock |
| Process route | Powder-metallurgy consolidated | Pressed and sintered |
| Condition | Worked / annealed | — |
Unalloyed rhenium, high purity. Element Re.
| Metal | Density g/cm³ | Melting Point °C | Structure | Best Used For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pure Rhenium | 21.0 | 3186 | HCP | Highest-class melting point with ductility; thermocouples, superalloy addition |
| Tungsten | 19.3 | 3422 | BCC | Highest melting point; density, electrodes |
| Tantalum | 16.6 | 2996 | BCC | Chemical / medical corrosion resistance |
| Molybdenum | 10.22 | 2623 | BCC | High-temperature furnace and electronic parts |
| Niobium | 8.57 | 2468 | BCC | Superconductors, nuclear, chemical service |
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