Why Is Molybdenum an Important Metal?
According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Jefferson Lab, molybdenum is a metallic element with a high melting point and qualities that make it useful in a number of ways. The National Library of Medicine reports that molybdenum is also an important trace element for human health. Industrial Lubricant The Jefferson Lab and the Los Alamos National Laboratory report that molybdenum compounds are ideal high temperature lubricants. Under high temperature manufacturing conditions where petroleum-based lubricants would normally degrade, molybdenum’s high melting point makes its compounds withstand heat better than oil. Manufacturing Manufacturers use molybdenum in missile and aircraft parts, in certain kinds of electrical filaments and in electrodes for electric glass furnaces, according to the Department of Energy (DOE). Nuclear power plants also use molybdenum in the condenser tubes that transfer heat energy. Alloys Molybdenum’s hardness and heat resistance also make it an important meta
