What Are The Main Uses Of Molybdenum Metal?

Molybdenum is a silver-gray metal that is usually a byproduct of copper and tungsten mining. Due to its unique properties, molybdenum has a variety of uses.
Molybdenum metal has a high melting point of 4730 degrees Fahrenheit, a property that allows for many uses. The metal is usually sold as a gray powder that is compressed under high pressure to make products such as alloying agents and catalysts for the chemical industry.
The price of molybdenum has underperformed in recent years, but analysts are optimistic that its performance will improve as demand for renewable energy technologies and the steel industry rebound.

To better understand the future outlook for molybdenum, it is important to understand the major uses of molybdenum. Below is a brief overview of five of these major uses.

01. Alloys
Structural steel accounts for 55% of molybdenum usage. This metal increases the strength of steel at high temperatures and enables it to withstand pressures of 300,000 pounds per square inch. Molybdenum also helps resist corrosion, which makes it an important material for stainless steel. About 25 percent of molybdenum is used in the stainless steel industry.
Stainless steel alloys containing molybdenum are used in the pharmaceutical industry and chemical plants, as well as in tanker trucks.

In addition to this, molybdenum can be alloyed with steel to produce drill bits, saws, jet engines and power generation turbines. Chromium and molybdenum alloyed steel sheets are used for mufflers and other automotive parts.

Molybdenum-alloyed cast iron is used to produce cylinder heads, motor blocks and exhaust manifolds, which allow automobile engines to run hotter, thereby reducing carbon emissions. Another use is in grinding and crushing equipment.

02. Catalysts
Molybdenum can also be used for chemical purposes. About 14% of molybdenum is used as a catalyst and lubricant in the chemical industry. For example, the metal is used as a catalyst in oil refineries to help remove sulfur from natural gas and refined petroleum products. The process, known as hydrodesulfurization, involves heating and pressurization, coupled with a molybdenum oxide catalyst with an alumina carrier and cobalt.

Sometimes nickel and molybdenum are used instead of cobalt for more difficult feedstocks. Low-sulfur fuels are cleaner fuels, and many countries, including Canada and the United States, require vehicles to use ultra-low-sulfur diesel for road vehicles. Molybdenum also acts as a catalyst in the production of polymers and plastics.

03. Lubricants
Molybdenum can combine with sulfur to form molybdenum disulfide, which helps lubricate two-stroke engines, bicycle coaster brakes, bullets, and ski wax. It is also used in greases for ball and roller bearings in the manufacturing, mining and transportation industries.

Molybdenum disulfide can be heat and pressure resistant because it is a product of geothermal heat. The oil-soluble molybdenum-sulfur compounds thiophosphates and thiocarbamates protect engines from wear, oxidation and corrosion.

04. Pigments
Molybdenum is also used as a corrosion-resistant pigment in paints and dyes. One pigment, made from zinc molybdate, is used in paint primers to inhibit corrosion and stabilize the color; for example, it is used to paint the metal surfaces of ships.

Molybdate-orange pigments are made from lead, lead chromate, lead molybdate and lead sulfate. This paint stands up to light fading and weathering over time. Molybdenum orange is used in paints, inks, plastic and rubber products, and ceramics.

05. Fertilizers
Molybdenum is an important component of the enzyme nitrogen fixing, which is found in nitrogen-fixing bacteria that make nitrogen from the air available to plants. Sodium molybdate, a white crystalline powder, is used as a fertilizer for plants such as cauliflower and beans to increase crop yields.