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Occurrence
Rhenium is one of the rarest metals in the earth's crust. It is not mined from economically significant deposits of its own, but is almost always only contained in very low concentrations in other ores. Ores containing copper and molybdenum are particularly relevant, especially from sulphide deposits. The most important producers of primary extraction are currently Chile, China, Poland and the USA. Smaller quantities come from Uzbekistan, South Korea and Kazakhstan, among others.
As rhenium is not specifically mined as a main raw material, but is mainly produced as a by-product, its availability is heavily dependent on the extraction and processing of copper and molybdenum. Accordingly, production and supply can fluctuate with the development of these main metals. The low availability makes rhenium a strategically important raw material, particularly for high-tech applications.
Extraction
Rhenium is extracted almost exclusively as a by-product of copper and molybdenum processing. During ore processing, rhenium accumulates in certain intermediate products, particularly in roasting gases, dusts or residues from molybdenum production. Rhenium is first chemically extracted from these process streams, often in the form of perrhenate solutions. An important intermediate product is ammonium perrhenate.
This is then further concentrated through additional precipitation, purification and reduction processes and finally reduced to metallic rhenium. The metal is then purified and usually processed into powder or solid components, depending on the subsequent area of application.
Global primary production is around 80 tons per year, with Chile and China being among the most important countries of origin. Rhenium is also recovered from recycling streams, for example from superalloys containing rhenium and used catalytic converters.
The global demand for germanium is increasing. In view of the high concentration of extraction and further processing, recycling is becoming increasingly important as a source of this raw material. This also applies to the processing of scrap from the production of germanium-containing products. In Europe, the Critical Raw Materials Act stipulates that 25 percent of the demand for strategic raw materials must be obtained through recycling by 2030. Germanium is one of these materials. Alongside others, the raw materials trader TRADIUM is already working at national and international level to exploit the potential of this raw material source.
