First discovered way back in 1778, molybdenum is known for being very ductile. It’s also known for being very resistant to corrosion and for having one of the highest melting points of all the pure elements. Only tantalum and tungsten have melting points higher than molybdenum. However, that’s not all there is to know about molybdenum. Check out some other interesting facts about it below.
There are about 200,000 tons of molybdenum mined every year.
Molybdenum is a byproduct of mining done for tungsten and copper. It is primarily found in places like China, Peru, Chile, and the United States. Although it’s not found freely out in nature, molybdenum is the 54th most common element found in the crust of the Earth.
There are an assortment of uses for molybdenum.
In general, molybdenum is most often used during alloy production. It’s added during the alloy production process to increase qualities like strength, resistance to corrosion, hardness, and conductivity. That makes it very useful in several different industries. It’s used to create everything from saw blades and missiles to lubricants, and circuit boards. It’s also used in many products that need to be able to stand up to high temperatures.
It was used in one of the most famous guns of all time.
A German gun called Big Bertha was used in both World War I and World War II. The World War II version contained molybdenum in it. Molybdenum was used in place of iron because of its high melting point. It allowed for Germans to use the gun without the fear of the heat it produced doing damage to it.
If your company could benefit from getting its hands on molybdenum, Eagle Alloys can help you obtain molybdenum bars, foil, sheet, plates, and wire. Contact us at 800-237-9012 today to learn more about placing an order for molybdenum.
