Rhenium was first discovered in 1925 by husband and wife Walter and Tacke Noddack. They discovered the element in a piece of platinum ore and, three years later, were able to create an extraction process.
Rhenium is a dense metal with a very high melting point of around 5767 degrees Fahrenheit. In its metallic form, it can easily be bent, rolled or coiled.
Rhenium is used in the manufacture of superconductive filaments which are used in mass spectrographs. Its high melting point makes it useful in making thermocouple thermometers, which measure very high temperatures.