Pharmaceutical

It is no exaggeration to say that the tank container has revolutionized freight transport. From its humble origins, the ISO tank container industry now numbers more than half a million units across the globe. Tank production is growing at nearly twice the rate of the world economy and they are almost always made of molybdenum-containing stainless steel. Such is their popularity that these containers now represent a significant end-use application for molybdenum.

It can be difficult and time consuming for engineers to find materials properties beyond the basic ones reported in producer data sheets. This is especially true for lesser-used high-performance alloys. The new High-Performance Alloys Database addresses this problem. It contains a large number of materials properties for each of the 100 or so featured alloys, many involving molybdenum.

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.

The molybdenum isotope molybdenum-99 and its decay cousin technetium-99m are extremely helpful and widely used in medical procedures, for example in the diagnosis of cancer. Current production methods for ⁹⁹Mo are in question because of aging reactors and the use of weapons-grade uranium. Fortunately, some new methods for producing ⁹⁹Mo are under development and show great promise. If they are successful, molybdenum can continue to play its life-saving role.