Molybdenum
Molybdenum is a transition metal.
The pure metal is silvery white in color, fairly soft, and has
one of the highest melting points of all pure elements. In small
quantities, molybdenum is effective at hardening steel. Molybdenum
is important in plant nutrition, and is found in certain enzymes,
including xanthine oxidase.
The pure metal has a tendency to flake apart during
machining. Over ⅔ of all molybdenum is
used in alloys. Molybdenum use soared during World War
I,
high-strength steels
were at a premium. Molybdenum is used to this day in high-strength
alloys and in high-temperature steels. Special
molybdenum-containing alloys, such as the Hastelloys are notably
heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant.
Molybdenum is used in
oil pipelines, aircraft and missile parts, and in filaments.
Molybdenum finds use as a catalyst in the petroleum industry,
especially in catalysts for removing organic sulfurs from petroleum
products. Mo-99 is used in the nuclear isotope
industry.
