U.S. eyes Chile’s dominant global rhenium supply

SANTIAGO, Chile, March 18 (UPI) — The United States is continuing efforts to secure supplies of critical minerals deemed vital to national security. Alongside copper, lithium and silver, one lesser-known metal is drawing increased attention: rhenium. Used primarily in the aerospace, energy and petrochemical industries, rhenium plays a key role in high-performance applications. Experts say it also holds potential in the global energy transition because it can act as a catalyst in producing green hydrogen. Chile is the world’s largest rhenium producer, accounting for about 50% of global output. The metal is atomic No. 75 on the Periodic Table of…