14 Facts About Molybdenum

Molybdenum is a chemical element with the symbol Mo and atomic number 42 which is located in period 5 and group 6.

Molybdenum minerals have been known throughout history, but the element was discovered in 1778 by Carl Wilhelm Scheele.

Molybdenum-bearing enzymes are by far the most common bacterial catalysts for breaking the chemical bond in atmospheric molecular nitrogen in the process of biological nitrogen fixation.

Molybdenum is a transition metal with an electronegativity of 2.

Molybdenum has several oxidation states, the most stable being +4 and +6 .

Molybdenum oxide is soluble in strong alkaline water, forming molybdates .

Molybdenum is the 54th most abundant element in the Earth's crust with an average of 1.

Molybdenum is mined as a principal ore and is recovered as a byproduct of copper and tungsten mining.

Molybdenum is valued in steel alloys for its high corrosion resistance and weldability.

Molybdenum contributes corrosion resistance to type-300 stainless steels and especially so in the so-called superaustenitic stainless steels .

Molybdenum can be used as a flame-resistant coating for other metals.

Molybdenum is an essential element in most organisms; a 2008 research paper speculated that a scarcity of molybdenum in the Earth's early oceans may have strongly influenced the evolution of eukaryotic life .

Molybdenum deficiency has been reported as a consequence of non-molybdenum supplemented total parenteral nutrition for long periods of time.

Molybdenum prevents plasma proteins from binding to copper, and it increases the amount of copper that is excreted in urine.