Re
Rhenium
Rhenium is a rare and exceptionally heat-resistant transition metal used primarily to improve the performance of high-temperature alloys.
About Rhenium
Rhenium is a dense, silvery-white transition metal that occupies a unique position in the periodic table due to its extreme refractory nature and metallic character. It is a thermodynamically stable element that maintains structural integrity under intense conditions, making it a critical component in advanced metallurgical applications. Its inherent stability and high resistance to heat allow it to serve as a foundational material in demanding industrial environments. Because of its scarcity and specialized properties, it is highly valued in sectors requiring materials that can withstand extreme thermal stress without degradation. The extensive documentation of its various structural forms underscores its significance as a well-characterized element in materials science.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for Rhenium, aggregated across 6 databases.
Band GapEnergy needed to move an electron from the valence band to the conduction band. Lower or zero values tend to behave more metallic; larger gaps are more insulating or semiconducting.
Energy Above HullThermodynamic distance from the most stable set of competing phases. 0 eV/atom is on the convex hull; small positive values may still be experimentally accessible.
StabilityA plain-language summary of the best reported energy-above-hull result. It reflects whether the lowest-energy structure is on, near, or far from the stability hull.
StructuresCount of reported calculated crystal structures for this formula, including alternate polymorphs, source databases, and observed space groups.
Cross-Source DFT Agreement
How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of Re. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.
Agreement ScoreA normalized confidence score summarizing how closely independent DFT databases agree. Higher scores mean tighter cross-source agreement.
Hull SpreadDifference between the highest and lowest energy-above-hull values reported by comparable sources. Smaller spread means less thermodynamic disagreement.
Sources ComparedNumber and names of computational sources with comparable entries for this formula.
Space Group ConsensusWhether independent sources predict the same crystal symmetry for the lowest-energy structure.
Reported Structures
Lowest-energy structures reported for Re, ranked by energy above hull.
| Space GroupSymmetry classification of the crystal arrangement. The number is the international space-group index. | Crystal SystemBroad lattice family, such as cubic, tetragonal, monoclinic, or triclinic, derived from unit-cell symmetry. | Band Gap (eV)Electronic gap calculated for this specific reported structure, measured in electronvolts. | E above hull (eV/atom)Thermodynamic distance from the convex hull for this structure, normalized per atom. Lower is generally more stable. | E/atom (eV)Computed total energy normalized per atom. Use energy above hull, not this value alone, when comparing stability. | Density (g/cm³)Mass per relaxed crystal volume, reported in grams per cubic centimeter. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-3m (No. 166) | trigonal | 0.00 | 0.0000 | 0.012 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0000 | 0.000 | — |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.0000 | 0.065 | — |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.0000 | 0.065 | — |
| P63/mmc (No. 194) | hexagonal | 0.00 | 0.0000 | -52.411 | 20.88 |
| P63/mmc (No. 194) | hexagonal | 0.00 | 0.0000 | 0.000 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0007 | 0.001 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0033 | 0.003 | — |
| P63/mmc (No. 194) | hexagonal | 0.00 | 0.0036 | -52.407 | 20.87 |
| R-3m (No. 166) | trigonal | 0.00 | 0.0111 | -52.400 | 20.88 |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0114 | 0.011 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0508 | 0.051 | — |
Applications
Where Rhenium is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Rhenium, answered from cross-validated data.
What is Re?
Rhenium is a rare and exceptionally heat-resistant transition metal used primarily to improve the performance of high-temperature alloys.
What is Re used for?
What is the band gap of Re?
Is Re a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is Re thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of Re?
What is the density of Re?
How many polymorphs of Re are known?
What elements does Re contain?
Where does the data for Re come from?
How It Compares
As a singular transition metal, Rhenium stands as a benchmark for refractory performance, serving as a primary alloying element that enhances the creep resistance and high-temperature durability of nickel-based superalloys in a way few other elements can match.
Data sources & attribution
- jarvis — Data from JARVIS (jarvis.nist.gov), NIST. Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020). (LicenseRef-US-Gov-PD)
- oqmd — Data from the OQMD (oqmd.org). Cite: Saal et al., JOM 65, 1501 (2013); Kirklin et al., npj Comp. Mater. 1, 15010 (2015). (CC-BY-4.0)
- materials_project — Data from the Materials Project (materialsproject.org). Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013). (CC-BY-4.0)
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