Rhenium - has a number of claims to chemical fame
10/01/19 • 7 min
Named after the Rhine river, rhenium is a metal with very high boiling and melting points, and it was the last naturally occuring, non-radioactive element to be discovered, says Prof Allan Blackman in ep 70 of Elemental.
The chemical element rhenium is named after the Rhine River.
It is one of the rarest elements in the earth's crust and the last of the naturally-occurring non-radioactive elements to be discovered.
Rhenium has a number of claims to chemical fame: the metal has the highest boiling point (5596 degrees Celsius), third highest melting point and is the fourth most dense of all the elements.
It finds use in alloys and catalysts, says Professor Allan Blackman from AUT, in episode 70 of Elemental.
Named after the Rhine river, rhenium is a metal with very high boiling and melting points, and it was the last naturally occuring, non-radioactive element to be discovered, says Prof Allan Blackman in ep 70 of Elemental.
The chemical element rhenium is named after the Rhine River.
It is one of the rarest elements in the earth's crust and the last of the naturally-occurring non-radioactive elements to be discovered.
Rhenium has a number of claims to chemical fame: the metal has the highest boiling point (5596 degrees Celsius), third highest melting point and is the fourth most dense of all the elements.
It finds use in alloys and catalysts, says Professor Allan Blackman from AUT, in episode 70 of Elemental.
Previous Episode
Radon - radioactive basement risk
The radioactive gas radon can be a risk in the basements of stone houses and used to, erroneously, be touted for its health benefits, says Prof Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 69 of Elemental.
Radon was originally named 'radium emanation' by its discoverer, Kiwi chemist Lord Ernest Rutherford.
It is a noble gas and is produced by the radioactive decay of uranium and thorium. People who live in stone buildings can be at risk from radon gas as it escapes from rocks - it is heavy so it tends to lodge in the basements of houses. This is a problem in some parts of the United States, where you can buy radon detectors in supermarkets, but is not an issue in New Zealand.
In the early twentieth century radon was touted as having health benefits before the dangers of radioactivity were recognised, says Professor Allan Blackman from the Auckland University of Technology in episode 69 of Elemental.
Next Episode
Rhodium - used in cars, drugs... and aftershave
Rhodium is an expensive precious metal that is used in catalytic convertors, to make the Parkinson's drug L-DOPA, create shiny jewellery and add the menthol taste to toothpaste, says Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 71 of Elemental.
Rhodium is a very expensive precious metal, whose major use is in catalytic convertors, as it is very good at reducing levels of nitrogen oxides.
The metal is used in mirrors and optical fibres, and as it is very shiny it is sometimes used as a coating for jewellery made from cheaper metals.
Rhodium turns up in lip balm, cough remedies, toothpaste and aftershave, because rhodium catalysts are used to make synthetic menthol flavours, says Professor Allan Blackman from the Auckland University of Technology, in episode 71 of Elemental.
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