What is Molybdenum (Mo)? Molybdenum is an important industrial metal with unique properties, including a very high melting point (4,750 degrees Fahrenheit). Molybdenum is No. 42 in the Periodic Table.
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History
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Molybdenum Products and Use | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
First Use of Molybdenum
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End Use of Molybdenum* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Molybdenum's Physical Properties Industrial Applications for Molybdenum
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Molybdenum Trends Molybdenum is increasingly being used in automobiles and various industrial products. Adding molybdenum to steel gives added strength and improves the strength-to-weight ratio -- meaning less metal is needed.Over the past two decades, automotive engineers have included molybdenum-bearing, high-strength steel in their designs in order to produce lighter-weight, m ore fuel-efficient vehicles, which also resist corrosion and yield higher crash-test ratings than older models. Growing use of molybdenum is also a factor in the chemical and petroleum industries. For example, project managers are favoring molybdenum-bearing duplex stainless steel grades for their strength and lower cost in the construction of large storage tanks. The need for stronger steel alloys to handle higher pressures, as well as to resist corrosion, explains why molybdenum is being used more frequently and more intensely in oil and gas pipelines. Steel alloys containing molybdenum perform better than ordinary steel in high-heat and corrosive situations, such as in jet engines, power generating turbines, desalination plants and nuclear power facilities. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
World Demand World demand for molybdenum has grown at a 4% average annual rate over the past 50 years. This growth was interrupted in late 2008 by economic recession. But, as it did after past recessions, demand growth is likely to resume again when economic conditions improve. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
World Supply The world's geological reserves of molybdenum are concentrated in China and North and South America. China's reserves could potentially lead to higher production to fill the world's growing needs. However, while China was a major exporter of molybdenum in the past, the Chinese government beginning in 2004 deliberately reduced molybdenum supply to the rest of the world through production curtailments, export taxes and export quotas. As local high-cost mines closed down near the end of 2008, China started importing large quantities of molybdenum from North and South American producers. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
China's Molybdenum Trade Position Production barely kept pace with growing demand in the past five years and did so only because the molybdenum price rose dramatically in 2005 and encouraged higher production from many sources, including by-product copper mines which account for about half of the world's molybdenum supply. Molybdenum supply will likely remain relatively constrained for an extended period of time. Molybdenum production at by-product copper mines is not expected to grow significantly. The development of major new primary molybdenum mines will be delayed by difficulty in obtaining financing. China is likely to continue with its strategic policies aimed at keeping its molybdenum mainly for use in its own industries. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
World Price The price of molybdenum oxide fell precipitously in late 2008 as steel mills retrenched in the midst of economic recession. However, the molybdenum price is expected to move higher in the medium term, as economic growth resumes, molybdenum demand increases and supply remains relatively constrained. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Molybdenum is usually present in alloy steel used in pipelines and drilling equipment in the oil and gas sector. Its corrosion-resistance is critical for preventing pipeline leaks and for the durability of steel used in proximity to seawater. Molybdenum's high strength and ability to function well in harsh conditions make it ideal for the tough work done by drilling bits and pipe used to reach oil and gas reserves thousands of feet underground.
The addition of molybdenum to stainless steel provides corrosion protection and improves its strength. These properties cause it to be an effective solution to many of the challenges facing industry. Stainless grades containing molybdenum are widely used including in pharmaceutical, pulp and paper and chemical plants, tanker trucks, ocean-going tankers and desalination plants.
Machines that make tools and the tools themselves often contain molybdenum. Drill tools and cutting and shaping edges containing the metal provide extra strength, hardness and resistance to wear and corrosion, and function well in extreme heat. These properties are unique, with few substitutes, and make molybdenum-bearing tool steel effective and cost efficient in many industrial applications.
Superalloy formulas vary widely but molybdenum is often included in combination with nickel and other specialty metals. Such super-alloys are used in jet and rocket engines, power-generating turbines, turbochargers and chemical and petroleum plants, where they are deemed essential due to their ability to perform well in high heat, resist various corrosive forces, and provide excellent surface stability.
Molybdenum adds strength and hardness and helps cast iron tolerate the high pressures and temperatures of modern diesel engines, where it is increasingly used in motor blocks, cylinder heads, turbocharger housings, and engine exhaust manifolds. The alloyed metal allows engines to run hotter, thus reducing carbon emissions, with the added benefit of weight savings to improve fuel efficiency.
Molybdenum as a pure metal is used frequently in small quantities in diverse situations, including use as a powder coating for other metals, such as to improve the wear and friction properties of automotive parts. It is also a component of wiring and connections in electronics, light bulbs, and the coating sprayed in solar cells and flat panel displays.
Molybdenum is a key component of catalysts used by petroleum refineries to reduce the sulfur content of gasoline and diesel. These catalysts have been increasingly in demand as the sulfur content of crude oil rises and as governments mandate lower-sulfur fuels for cars and trucks. Molybdenum disulfide has numerous properties that makes it an efficient lubricant. It recently has been included in high-performance motor oils.