Refractory Metal Pure Re
also Re CP
Pure Re is commercially pure rhenium, a refractory metal with the third-highest melting point (about 3186 °C) and one of the highest densities (21.0 g/cm³), unique in having no ductile-to-brittle transition temperature — it stays ductile down to liquid-helium temperatures and retains roughly 1100 MPa tensile strength plus high creep resistance after recrystallization.
Reference datasheet — Pure Re is not in the instant-quote catalog. Upload your part and an engineer will quote it in this grade or suggest the closest stocked equivalent.
Values for the Vacuum Annealed condition
Pure Re tempers and conditions
Pure Re is supplied in 4 conditions, soft to hard. Vacuum Annealed is the default FabDigit quotes; the values on this page are for it.
Compare all 4 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vacuum AnnealedDefault fully recrystallized (1600–1800 °C, high vacuum) | Standard stocked condition for sheet, rod and thermocouple stock where maximum ductility and formability are needed. | 300 | 1,100 | 24 | 22 HRC | 8.9 % IACS |
powder-pressed and vacuum/H₂ sintered blank | Lowest-cost near-net blank for crucibles and electrodes; slightly porous, so strength and conductivity are below wrought values. | 500 | 900 | 8 | 30 HRC | 8 % IACS |
Stress relieved | Compromise condition: retains most cold-work strength while removing residual stress for dimensional stability. | 1,200 | 1,550 | 10 | 49 HRC | 8.6 % IACS |
Cold worked | Pick for maximum room-temperature strength, spring elements and thin foil where no further forming is required. | 1,900 | 2,100 | 3 | 63 HRC | 8.3 % IACS |
Supply forms, finishes and certifications
Ways Pure Re is supplied — form, process route, surface or paperwork — without a datasheet of their own. The property values above apply.
| Option | What it is | Type |
|---|---|---|
Wire Drawn | Wire, as-drawn | Supply form |
CVD | CVD Rhenium | Coating |
What is Pure Re?
Pure Re is commercially pure rhenium, a refractory metal with the third-highest melting point (about 3186 °C) and one of the highest densities (21.0 g/cm³), unique in having no ductile-to-brittle transition temperature — it stays ductile down to liquid-helium temperatures and retains roughly 1100 MPa tensile strength plus high creep resistance after recrystallization. It is supplied as vacuum annealed, cold worked, stress relieved, wire-drawn, PM sintered and CVD forms for rocket thrust chamber liners (Re/Ir), W-Re thermocouples, filaments, ion sources and mass-spectrometer ribbons, and as an alloying addition to nickel-base single-crystal superalloys and petroleum reforming catalysts. Limits are very high cost, extremely rapid work hardening that forces repeated vacuum anneals, poor machinability (score 10) and formation of volatile Re₂O₇ above about 600 °C in air, so service must be in vacuum or an inert or reducing atmosphere. Pure Re has a density of 21.02 g/cm³ (0.759 lb/in³), heavier than 99% of refractory metal grades. It melts at 3,186°C (5,767 °F). Pure Re has a yield strength of 300 MPa (43.5 ksi) and a tensile strength of 1,100 MPa (160 ksi) — weaker than 60% of refractory metal grades. Elongation at break is 24% and the elastic modulus is 463 GPa (67.2 Msi).
What is Pure Re used for?
- Rocket combustor liners with iridium coating
- W-Re high-temperature thermocouples
- Filaments and ion source components
- Mass spectrometer ribbons
- Electrical contacts and heating elements
- X-ray tube targets
- Crucibles and thermocouple sheaths for vacuum furnaces
Advantages
- Stiff — 463 GPa (67.2 Msi), better than 99% of refractory metal grades
- High service temperature — 2,000°C (3,632 °F), better than 91% of refractory metal grades
Limitations
- High embodied carbon — 700 kg CO₂/kg, worse than 100% of refractory metal grades
- Heavy — 21.02 g/cm³ (0.759 lb/in³), worse than 99% of refractory metal grades
- Difficult to machine — 10/100, worse than 89% of refractory metal grades
Pure Re properties
Typical room-temperature values for Pure Re-Vacuum Annealed; bars are the position among refractory metal grades.
Physical3
Pure Re has a density of 21.02 g/cm³ (0.759 lb/in³), heavier than 99% of refractory metal grades. It melts at 3,186°C (5,767 °F).
Mechanical17
Pure Re has a yield strength of 300 MPa (43.5 ksi) and a tensile strength of 1,100 MPa (160 ksi) — weaker than 60% of refractory metal grades. Elongation at break is 24% and the elastic modulus is 463 GPa (67.2 Msi).
Thermal6
Pure Re is rated for continuous service to 2,000°C (3,632 °F). It conducts heat at 48 W/m·K (27.7 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 61% of refractory metal grades. Thermal expansion is 6.2 µm/m·K (3.44 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
Pure Re conducts electricity at 8.9 % IACS, better than 60% of refractory metal grades.
Chemical & Environmental2
Corrosion resistance is very good (70/100), worse than 61% of refractory metal grades.
Sustainability3
Producing a kilogram of Pure Re takes about 11,000 MJ of energy and emits 700 kg of CO₂ — more than 100% of refractory metal grades. Typical recycled content is 30%.
Manufacturability7
Pure Re's machinability is not recommended (10/100, worse than 89% of refractory metal grades); weldability poor (30/100); formability fair (45/100).
Common Calculations5
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Strength versus weight in the refractory metal family
Yield strength against density for every refractory metal grade FabDigit runs. Pure Re is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with Pure Re
Is Pure Re easy to machine?
Very difficult: gummy, work-hardens instantly and galls — use ground carbide/CBN at low speed with heavy positive rake, or prefer grinding, wire EDM and electrochemical machining.
Can Pure Re be welded?
Join by electron-beam or laser welding in high vacuum, or by vacuum brazing with Pd-, Ni- or Au-base fillers; any C/O/N pickup embrittles the weld, and resistance/TIG welding in air is not acceptable.
Can Pure Re be formed, bent or molded?
Cold roll, draw or spin in many light passes (10–20 % per pass) with intermediate 1600–1800 °C vacuum anneals; never hot work in air, and avoid contact with carbon tooling or lubricants that leave residue.
Pure Re chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) |
|---|---|
| Moprincipal metallic impurity from APR route | ≤ 0 |
| W | ≤ 0 |
| Fe | ≤ 0 |
| Ni | ≤ 0 |
| Ca | ≤ 0 |
| Kresidual from ammonium perrhenate reduction | ≤ 0 |
| C | ≤ 0.01 |
| Ointerstitial; must be low to avoid grain-boundary embrittlement | ≤ 0.01 |
| N | ≤ 0 |
| H | ≤ 5×10⁻⁴ |
| Remetals-basis purity, typical CP grade 99.99 % (3N5–4N also sold) | ≥ 99.99 (balance) |
What surface finishes work on Pure Re?
Chemically or electrolytically clean, then mechanically polish or electropolish; parts for oxidizing service must be coated (Ir, HfC or Pt) since bare Re volatilizes above ~600 °C in air.
Equivalent designations
Standards and trade names that resolve to Refractory Metal Pure Re in FabDigit's catalog. Equivalence is nominal — check the exact specification when certification matters.
- Trade names
- Re CP
How much does Pure Re cost?
Pure Re is a specialty-cost refractory metal ($$$$$), pricier than about 100% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Pure Re — frequently asked
What is Pure Re used for?
Pure Re is typically used for rocket combustor liners with iridium coating, W-Re high-temperature thermocouples, filaments and ion source components, mass spectrometer ribbons, electrical contacts and heating elements and X-ray tube targets. In short: ultra-high-temp rhenium foil.
What is the yield strength of Pure Re?
Pure Re has a typical yield strength of 300 MPa (43.5 ksi) and a tensile strength of 1,100 MPa (160 ksi) — weaker than 60% of refractory metal grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 4 listed tempers.
Is Pure Re easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated not recommended (10/100, worse than 89% of refractory metal grades). Very difficult: gummy, work-hardens instantly and galls — use ground carbide/CBN at low speed with heavy positive rake, or prefer grinding, wire EDM and electrochemical machining.
Can Pure Re be welded?
Not readily — weldability is rated poor (30/100). Join by electron-beam or laser welding in high vacuum, or by vacuum brazing with Pd-, Ni- or Au-base fillers; any C/O/N pickup embrittles the weld, and resistance/TIG welding in air is not acceptable.
What surface finishes work on Pure Re?
Chemically or electrolytically clean, then mechanically polish or electropolish; parts for oxidizing service must be coated (Ir, HfC or Pt) since bare Re volatilizes above ~600 °C in air.
Can Pure Re be formed, bent or molded?
Cold roll, draw or spin in many light passes (10–20 % per pass) with intermediate 1600–1800 °C vacuum anneals; never hot work in air, and avoid contact with carbon tooling or lubricants that leave residue.
What is the maximum service temperature of Pure Re?
Pure Re is rated for continuous use to about 2,000°C (3,632 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
What is the difference between Pure Re Vacuum Annealed and Pure Re-CW?
Vacuum Annealed is the default condition — standard stocked condition for sheet, rod and thermocouple stock where maximum ductility and formability are needed. CW: pick for maximum room-temperature strength, spring elements and thin foil where no further forming is required. Yield strength is 300 MPa in Vacuum Annealed versus 1,900 MPa in CW.
How much does Pure Re cost?
Pure Re is a specialty-cost refractory metal ($$$$$), pricier than about 100% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sources
- ASM Handbook Vol.2 — Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials (Refractory Metals) — ASM International (1990)
- CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 102nd ed. — CRC Press (2021)
- Rhenium metal — sheet, rod, wire and CVD product data — Rhenium Alloys, Inc. (2023)
- Rhenium powder and pellets technical data — H.C. Starck Solutions (2022)
- ASTM B885 — Standard Specification for Rhenium Powder / GB/T 26016 — ASTM / SAC (2016)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.