Discovering Rhenium: Claims and Counter-Claims

TCE

The Chemical Educator

ISSN: 1430-4171 (electronic version)

Table of Contents

Abstract Volume 26 (2021) pp 9-13

Discovering Rhenium: Claims and Counter-Claims

John Nicholson*^,† and Lenny Parker^‡

^†Queen Mary University of London, UK and Bluefield Centre for Biomaterials, London, UK, John.Nicholson@bluefieldcentre.co.uk; ^‡Abraham Lincoln School, La Romana, Dominican Republic.

Published: 5 January 2021

Abstract. In this article we consider the history of the discovery of the element rhenium, element 75. Although usually attributed to the German group of Noddack, Tacke and Berg in 1925, some authors have advanced claims of the English duo of Druce and Loring, also in 1925, and the Japanese chemist Ogawa in 1908. We have examined these possibilities by reference to the original literature. After careful examination of all the published evidence, we conclude that Noddack et al should be regarded as the sole discoverers of rhenium, and that the claims for the others should be dismissed.

Key Words: Chemistry and History; rhenium

(*) Corresponding author. (E-mail: John.Nicholson@bluefieldcentre.co.uk )

Article in PDF format (144 KB) HTML format