the.com/molybdenum
the metal that lets jet engines and your steel laugh at melting
means A hard, silvery refractory metal (element 42) prized for its sky-high melting point and for toughening steel alloys against heat and corrosion.
from From the Greek 'molybdos,' meaning lead — a case of mistaken identity. For ages its ore (molybdenite) was confused with graphite and galena, all those soft gray lead-like minerals lumped together. In the late 18th century chemists teased the real element apart, but the misleading 'lead' name had already stuck, giving us a metal forever wearing its old impostor's mask.
- melting point
- 2,623 Celsius, sixth-highest of all elements
- name origin
- Greek for lead, which it was mistaken for
- in your body
- essential enzyme cofactor you need to live
- steel secret
- tiny amounts make armor and tools far tougher
- star forging
- made in supernovae before Earth existed
climax molybdenum mine — largest molybdenum mine in the world, located in colorado, usa, producing ~60% of us molybdenum
thompson molybdenum mine — major mine in british columbia, canada, operated by molycorp until 2015