Molybdenum

In ancient times and during the Middle Ages, molybdenum-containing minerals such as molybdenite were used to make swords and black pigments. Molybdenite resembles lead, which is where its name comes from: “molybdos” is the Greek word for lead.

In 1778, Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele discovered that molybdenite was neither graphite nor lead. Four years later, his colleague Peter Jacob Hjelm succeeded in producing molybdenum metal.

From the mid-19th century onwards, molybdenum was used in small quantities for special steels and pigments. Demand for molybdenum increased during World War I. Germany in particular used molybdenum as an alloy additive for armor-piercing shells and hard steels. This period also saw the start of industrial molybdenum mining at the Climax Mine in the USA.

In the post-war period, its areas of application expanded to include space travel, the petroleum industry, and electronics.

The most important application of molybdenum is in alloys for high-performance steel, for example in turbines and rockets. As an alloying metal, molybdenum increases strength, corrosion resistance, and heat resistance, which is particularly important in the defense industry and in aerospace.

In petrochemicals, molybdenum sulfide is used as a catalyst for sulfur removal.
Molybdenum sulfide is also used as a lubricant.

In the electronics industry, it is used as a conductive metal layer in thin-film transistors. Molybdenum is not a semiconductor itself, but it serves as a substrate material and component in semiconductor devices.

The most important molybdenum-bearing mineral is molybdenite. The majority of commercial production comes from molybdenite.

In terms of quantity, China is the number one molybdenum producer, followed by the USA, where the two largest molybdenum mines, Climax and Henderson, are located. The operator Freeport-McMoRan is considered the largest single producer of the raw material.

About 60 percent of molybdenum production comes from copper mines, where it is a by-product. The Chilean mining company Codelco is the second largest molybdenum producer. Molybdenum is a by-product of its Chuquicamata and El Teniente copper mines.

Other important producers include China Molybdenum, which operates the Tenke Fungurume mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Grupo Mexico.

Annual production is just under 300,000 tons. The trend is rising due to the expansion of copper production.

Molybdenum is virtually irreplaceable in its main application in steels and cast iron. Due to the good availability and versatility of molybdenum, industry has attempted to develop new materials that benefit from its alloying properties.

Possible substitutes include boron, chromium, niobium, and vanadium in alloy steels, tungsten in tool steels, graphite, tantalum, and tungsten for refractory materials in high-temperature electric furnaces.