The Purolite™ Resin Periodic Table

Rhenium is a transition metal with an atomic number of 75. It is a silvery-gray, heavy metal and is one of the rarest elements in the Earth's crust.

Applications
Rhenium is a high-value metal due to its special characteristics – it has a high melting point and is wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant. It is used as a super-alloy in jet-engines and as an additive to tungsten- and molybdenum-based alloys. It is also used in catalysts in the production of lead-free high-octane gasoline.

Challenges
Rhenium mainly occurs as a by-product in copper-porphyry ores and molybdenite concentrates. It may also be recovered from scrap.

Solutions
Resin technology is used to recover rhenium from acidic liquors.

Recovery from Waste Streams

Because rhenium is a by-product of other processes, it typically occurs at low concentrations (<10 mg/L) in solutions with a high sulfuric acid background (50-100/L H₂SO₄). Under these conditions, Rhenium is the monomeric perrhenate ion, ReO4-.
             
A special weak base ion exchange resin recovers rhenium from such liquors. The rhenium is eluted using ammonia, followed by the production of ammonia-perrhenate crystals.

Purolite™ Puromet™ MTA1701 is a specialized ion exchange resin designed for the removal of rhenium from acidic liquors and pulps. This resin is a polystyrenic macroporous weak base anion ion exchange resin in the free base form, which makes it highly effective for rhenium removal. It offers excellent mechanical strength and resistance to osmotic and thermal shock, making it suitable for demanding industrial applications.

For more information, visit Hydrometallurgy Products.