The world market is witnessing a sharp increase in interest in rhenium, a rare and valuable metal, which is widely used in high-tech industries, especially in the aerospace industry.
According to Argus Media, in recent weeks, demand for rhenium has increased significantly in China, which immediately affected its price. If in June a kilogram of ammonium perrhenate was estimated at $1.8-2 thousand, then by the end of July the price rose to $2.3-2.4 thousand. Experts cannot yet say for sure what caused this jump – short-term speculation or a long-term trend associated with the development of technological production.
Interestingly, over the past five years, supplies of rhenium from Chile to China have increased 13 times: from 2 tons in 2018 to 26 tons in 2023.
About 75% of global rhenium consumption is in aviation and space, where it is used in the production of high-temperature alloys for engines. However, its unique properties are used in other areas:
- Medicine (implants and instruments)
- Oil refining (catalysts)
- Electronics (chips and sensors)
Only 60–80 tons of rhenium are mined annually in the world. The main supplier is Chile, where the metal is obtained as a by-product from the processing of copper-molybdenum ores.
Russia also plans to occupy its niche in this market. Since 2015, on the Kuril Island Iturup, the world’s only industrial deposits rhenium in volcanic gases (Kudryavy volcano). Here, an installation is being created to capture metal from hot gases with temperatures up to 300°C.
At the first stage, the project will make it possible to produce tens of kilograms of rhenium per year, which will pay off due to the high cost of the metal. In the future, Russia may become one of the key players in this market.
Rising prices for rhenium and increasing demand from China indicate the promise of this rare metal. Development of new deposits, including in Russia, may change the balance on the world market in the coming years.
The material was prepared with the support of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science as part of the Decade of Science and Technology.
Source: @dprom
