Molybdenum: uses?

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Molybdenum is a metallic element and is a soft silvery-white substance. The main uses of molybdenum are as an addition to structural steels and irons, as a catalyst, as a pigment and as a flame retardant. When molybdenum is alloyed with steel, it makes the steel stronger and more resistant to heat. It is derived from the mineral molybdenite, mined in the southwestern United States, China, Chile, Russia and Mongolia.

The most significant of molybdenum’s uses is as an additive in steels and iron alloys. The addition of molybdenum improves the strength of steel and iron, reduces cracking, and allows metals to better withstand higher temperatures. At the start of the 21st century, about half of all molybdenum mined was used for iron and steel alloys in construction, tools, auto parts and steam turbines.

Another of molybdenum’s uses is as a chemical catalyst. Molybdenum’s versatile chemical structure and ease with which it switches between oxidation states make it an attractive catalyst for scientists creating chemical reactions and syntheses in the laboratory. One of the important energy uses of molybdenum is as a catalyst in fuel refining.

Molibate, a derivative of molybdenum, has an important application in agriculture. As an essential trace element in plants, animals and humans, molybdenum plays an important role in the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia. This fact makes the use of molybdenum in fertilizers a common occurrence.

Molybdenum is also added to pigments to make those colors more stable and less susceptible to corrosion. It is commonly mixed with bright red, orange and yellow pigments in inks, paints and plastics because it makes colored products more resistant to exposure to light and heat. One of molybdenum’s less common uses is as a flame retardant due to its unique ability to suppress smoke. It has even been applied as a dry lubricant to the exterior of the spacecraft.

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