 Rhenium in the form of rhenium @-@ platinum alloy is used as catalyst for catalytic reforming , which is a chemical process to convert petroleum refinery <unk> with low octane ratings into high @-@ octane liquid products . Worldwide , 30 % of catalysts used for this process contain rhenium . The olefin metathesis is the other reaction for which rhenium is used as catalyst . Normally Re2O7 on alumina is used for this process . Rhenium catalysts are very resistant to chemical poisoning from nitrogen , sulfur and phosphorus , and so are used in certain kinds of hydrogenation reactions . 
