Scientists to Build Pyramid Over Volcanic Vent

L O N D O N, Aug. 23 -- Russian scientists are building a woodenpyramid over a volcanic vent on an island off the north coastof Japan to try to trap gases containing the rare metalrhenium, the New Scientist reported today.

Rhenium, a hard-wearing silvery metal with a high meltingpoint, is an essential part of aerospace components, satellitesand missiles and also is used as a catalyst for producinghigh-octane fuels.

A Russian expedition on Iturup, a small island that is partof the Kuril chain, is building a test pyramid with a 30-footsquare base over a smoke vent on the Kudriavy volcano thismonth, the magazine said.

The scientists hope rhenium sulphide gas will be trapped inthe pyramid and then channeled to another trap filled with amineral called zeolite, which absorbs the gas.

Pure rhenium sulphide gas can then be released by heatingthe zeolite, the magazine added.

The Russian rhenium-hunters, led by Alexander Kremenetskyfrom the Institute of Mineralogy, Geochemistry and CrystalChemistry of Rare Earth Elements in Moscow, believe theyeventually may be able to produce two tons of rhenium a year ifthey put a cap over Kudriavy’s whole field of smoke vents.

Pricey Per Kilo

This compares to 40-45 tons produced worldwide each year,New Scientist said.

About 15-17 tons are produced annually by Chile’s Molymet,6 tons by U.S. producer Cyprus-Amax and around 3 tonsfrom Kazakhstan, with further supplies coming from stockpiles.

Other scientists doubt the Russian estimates.

Tobias Fischer, an assistant professor of vulcanology atthe University of New Mexico who went to Iturup in 1996, andothers have said Kudriavy would produce about 10 times lessrhenium than the Russian estimates.

Rhenium trades at about $1,325 a kilo.

Most of the rhenium currently available is a byproduct ofmolybdenum sulphide which is in turn a byproduct of copper.