Power generation

Coal-fired power plants emit more CO2 per kWh than any other form of generation. This study looks at how molybdenum-containing steels and superalloys are used in modern coal-fired plants to increase high temperature strength and resistance to chlorine-containing flue gases.  These properties enable supercritical and new ultra-supercritical power plants to be run at higher temperatures, increasing thermal efficiency and delivering significant reductions in CO2 emissions.

Solar power is an increasingly prevalent source of carbon-free, renewable energy generation. New thin-film photovoltaic panels offer significant advantages over traditional arrays in manufacturing, cost and design flexibility. Molybdenum provides several advantages as a component of the back electrode in CdTe cells, and as the sole material of the back electrode in CIGS technology.

Type 316 stainless steel adorns the face of a new Seattle infrastructure project: an electrical substation that doubles as a public park. As cities grow and global energy demand continues to rise, the new Denny Substation is a welcome glimpse into what a future powered by accessible, sustainable infrastructure might look like.

Many of the best tool steels require molybdenum to increase hardenability and toughness, and to form hard, wear-resistant carbides in the matrix. These attributes make molybdenum-containing tool steels the industry standard.

Molybdenum heat sinks are essential to power semiconductor devices that manage the flow of electricity in electronic equipment because they prevent overheating. Molybdenum’s good thermal and electrical conductivity, combined with its low coefficient of thermal expansion, make it the ideal material for this application.

A recent study found that about one quarter of the molybdenum used each year is recycled material from scrap sources. The rest is newly mined, primary molybdenum. Scrap therefore plays an important role in meeting demand and contributing to sustainability.