The raw materials for rhenium pellet production mainly come from the by-products of the molybdenum smelting process. Generally, the content of rhenium in molybdenite concentrate is between 0.001% and 0.031%. But the molybdenum concentrate selected from porphyry copper ore contains up to 0.16% rhenium. In addition, some copper ore, platinum group metal ore, niobium ore, sphalerite smelting dust, slag, and waste liquid from low-grade molybdenum ore treatment, and rhenium-containing waste materials such as platinum-rhenium catalysts and rhenium-containing waste alloys can also be used as Raw material for rhenium pellet production.

The extraction method of rhenium pellet needs to be determined according to rhenium-containing raw materials and rhenium products. When extracting rhenium pellet, a rhenium-containing solution is prepared from rhenium-containing raw materials. The solution is separated and purified to extract pure rhenium compounds, and then rhenium powder is prepared by hydrogen reduction method, aqueous solution electrolysis method, and halide thermal dissociation method, and then powder metallurgy is used. Method of processing into lumber. The extraction metallurgical process of rhenium pellet mainly includes the preparation of raw materials containing rhenium, the separation of rhenium and molybdenum, the preparation of intermediate rhenium compounds, the preparation of crude rhenium powder, and the refining and densification of rhenium.

There are two methods for industrial production of rhenium pellets: high temperature sintering method and smelting method.
①High temperature sintering method (also known as powder metallurgy method)
First, the rhenium powder is made into billets under a pressure of 6MPa, and the billets are sintered at 1200°C in a vacuum or ammonia gas, and then the pre-sintered billets are sintered at a high temperature at 2700-2850°C in a vertical melting furnace, and finally the theoretical density is obtained. More than 90% rhenium strips.
②Smelting method
This method uses sintered rods as raw materials, and uses arc smelting, electron beam smelting and zone smelting methods to purify crude rhenium. The rhenium ingot obtained by the electron beam melting method is a columnar crystal with a purity of 99.99%; the product obtained by the zone melting is a rhenium single crystal with spectral purity.

Now, the extraction and metallurgy of rhenium pellet has formed a three-step pattern of producing rhenium compound, rhenium powder and rhenium material. The task of the future development of the rhenium smelting industry is to expand the source of rhenium raw materials, increase the recovery rate of rhenium in the smelting process of molybdenum and copper, develop and improve flash roasting furnaces and circulating fluidized roasting methods, and develop more effective rhenium recovery methods. Processes, especially solvent extraction and ion exchange.