Where Does Molybdenum Come From?
Molybdenum is a Group 6 chemical element. On the periodic table, molybdenum is abbreviated Mo and has an atomic number of 42. With the sixth highest melting temperature of any element and the ability to form hard carbides, molybdenum is commonly used in steel alloys. In Nature Molybdenum does not occur in nature as a free metal but can be found oxidized in many minerals, such as wulfenite, powellite, and its main source, molybdenite. Location The United States, Chile, Canada, China and Russia are among the world’s leading producers of minerals containing molybdenum. Mining In 1885 the first molybdenum mine was opened in Norway. It remained open until 1973. Principal and Recovery Mines Molybdenum is mined principally and recovered after copper tungsten mining as well. Large mines in the United States and Canada mine principally, while mines in many other countries recover the metal. Prevalence In 2008, the United States produced $4.5 billion worth of molybdenum in 12 mines. Four of thes
