What Is Molybdenum?

Molybdenum (Mo) is a naturally occurring element that was discovered in 1778 by the Swedish scientist Carl Wilhelm Scheele, who also discovered oxygen in the air. Molybdenum has an atomic number of 42 on the periodic table and belongs to the second series of the VIB group of transition elements, between chromium and tungsten. Molybdenum has one of the highest melting points of any element, and its density is only 25% higher than that of iron. Molybdenum has one of the lowest coefficients of thermal expansion of any engineering material, while its thermal conductivity exceeds that of most elements. Molybdenum is found in a variety of ores, but only molybdenite (‍MoS2) is used to produce commercially available molybdenum products.