Rhenium (Re) is one of the rarest and most strategically important metals, essential for high-temperature superalloys, petrochemical catalysts, aerospace alloys, and advanced technological materials. Its extremely low crustal abundance and complex associations with molybdenite, copper concentrates, and nickel-based superalloys have driven global research efforts toward more selective and sustainable extraction and recycling techniques. This study provides a comprehensive investigation of hydrometallurgical approaches for selective recovery of rhenium from primary sources (flue dust, roasted molybdenite, aqueous process solutions) and secondary resources (superalloys, catalytic residues). Recent advances in selective leaching, solvent extraction, ion-exchange resins, alcohol-assisted leaching systems, and novel physicochemical separation mechanisms are compared. A conceptual flowsheet integrating the most effective modern hydrometallurgical steps is proposed. The results demonstrate that a combination of optimized leaching, selective precipitation, PC88A-based solvent extraction, and solution conditioning significantly improves selectivity toward Re relative to Mo, Fe, Co, and Ni. This work unifies modern extraction strategies and provides a scientific basis for the development of next-generation rhenium recovery technologies.
Khudoymuratov et al. (Wed,) studied this question.