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Rhenium Project at the University of Tennessee Records

 Collection
Identifier: AR-0268

  • Staff Only

This collection consists primarily of records of the profits, sales, and expenditures of the University of Tennessee's rhenium extraction project. Other materials include research on rhenium and information about a scholarship fund set up for graduate students in the area of rhenium chemistry.

Dates

  • 1939-1972

Conditions Governing Access

Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.

Conditions Governing Use

The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.

Extent

2 Linear Feet

Abstract

This collection consists primarily of records of the profits, sales, and expenditures of the University of Tennessee's rhenium extraction project. Other materials include research on rhenium and information about a scholarship fund set up for graduate students in the area of rhenium chemistry.

Biographical/Historical Note

The University of Tennessee's interest in the chemical element Rhenium began in February 1940 when Dr. Hiskey, an Assistant Professor of Chemistry, joined the staff. Although rhenium was originally only available from Germany (where it had been discovered in 1925), trace amounts were later found in flue-dust, a byproduct of copper recovery, at the Miami Copper Company in Miami, Arizona. The University of Tennessee entered into a contract with this organization and processed twenty tons of flue-dust in an experiment station in Berry Hall between 1941 and 1966. In 1966, however, the Miami Copper Company changed their wasting method to get a higher yield of copper, thus reducing the amount of rhenium in the flue-dust. A profitable recovery of Rhenium was no longer feasible and so the rhenium experiment station closed down.

Arrangement

Collection consists of two boxes.

Acquisition Note

Collection was transferred to University Archives.

Repository Details

Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository

Contact:
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Knoxville TN 37996 USA
865-974-4480