Properties of molybdenum metal
Molybdenum and molybdenum alloys are refractory metals with high boiling and melting points. They are in the fifth cycle of the periodic table. It has two outer shells (N and O shells) that are not filled with electrons. The small thermal neutron capture cross section of molybdenum is an important property, which makes it can be used as a structural material in the center of nuclear reactor. Molybdenum rod, molybdenum plate and molybdenum processing workpiece, molybdenum atomic radius is 0.139NM.
Molybdenum in its pure form is a malleable metal with gray luster. It can be filed and polished, and machining and grinding are not difficult. Molybdenum and molybdenum rods are important high-melting metals with a melting point of 2610 degrees Celsius, second only to carbon, tungsten, rhenium and tantalum. Molybdenum has a boiling point of 5560 degrees Celsius and a density of 10.22 cubic centimeters at 20 degrees Celsius. The linear expansion coefficient of molybdenum is about one-third to one-half of that of ordinary steel. This low expansion coefficient makes the molybdenum material dimensional stable at high temperature, reducing the risk of rupture. The thermal conductivity of molybdenum is several times that of many superalloys, about half of that of copper. The combination of high thermal conductivity and low heat capacity enables rapid heating and cooling of molybdenum, resulting in lower thermal stress than most other metals.
The electrical conductivity of molybdenum and molybdenum alloy processed parts is high (about one-third of copper) and decreases with increasing temperature. This makes molybdenum well suited for electrical use.
Molybdenum has a very high elastic modulus, which is one of the highest among industrial metals. The elastic modulus of molybdenum is less affected by temperature and even at 800 degrees Celsius is higher than that of ordinary steel at room temperature.
This content is excerpted from Tungsten-Molybdenum Metallurgy
