TOMSK, Dec 10 – RIA Tomsk. Scientists of Tomsk State University (TSU) are looking for a cost-effective technology to extract rhenium – a rare metal needed to create breakthrough products in electronics, aviation and space industries; they are currently studying samples brought from the only rhenium deposit in Russia in the Kuril Islands, the university's press service said.
It is explained that most of the rhenium deposits are concentrated in Kazakhstan, now they are used by the United States. The only natural deposit of this metal in Russia is located on the Iturup island (Kuril ridge). Scientists from TSU, Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and Institute of Geology of Ore Deposits of the Russian Academy of Sciences organized an expedition there to assess the reserves of rhenium and find a cost-effective technology for its extraction.
"Rhenium is a rare refractory metal, without which the development of modern electronics, the aircraft industry, and the space industry is impossible. The element's uniqueness lies in the fact that when even a small amount of it is added to alloys, their strength, resistance to high temperatures and corrosion increases significantly. The use of rhenium makes it possible to create breakthrough products and technologies", - a participant of the expedition from TSU Lyudmila Borilo is quoted.
It is noted that now the demand for this rare metal is very high. And it is critically important for the Russian Federation to find new sources of it. The only rhenium deposit - on Iturup Island on the Kudryavy Volcano - was discovered in the 1990s, but has not been developed. Scientists took samples there.
"The difficulty lies in the fact that the volcano is active, there are very high temperatures, about 600-900 degrees, and a chemically aggressive environment. The volume of rhenium reserves has not yet been determined, as well as the choice of technology by which the required element can be extracted", - Borilo is quoted.It is added that the expedition took samples of solid rocks from various temperature fields and the volcano's caldera, samples of fumarole gases. Researchers managed to find the mineral rhenite, which includes rhenium. Laboratory tests of samples are currently underway.
"The results should show what is the concentration of rhenium, whether it is sufficient for extraction and what methods can be used to make the work on their extraction profitable. In the near future, TSU, in partnership with Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Institute of Geology of Ore Deposits of the Russian Academy of Sciences and other interested parties will develop a comprehensive scientific and technical project for the study and extraction of rhenium", - the message said.
It is also reported that along with this, in collaboration with leading scientific organizations of the Russian Federation, it is planned to create a research center "Reniy" ("Rhenium") and an international research station of TSU on the Iturup island.