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Power generation

General

Molybdenum in Irons and Steels for Clean and Green Power Generation
21/06/2011

Case studies

Supercritical and Ultra-supercritical Power Plants
Supercritical and Ultra-supercritical Power Plants
05/03/2014
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.
Thin-film photovoltaic solar panels
12/07/2013
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.
Moly does the Job: Condenser in power plant
released in 2001
Many aging US power plants have copper alloy condensers that are suffering from erosion or corrosion. Many power plants have solved the problem permanently by replacing the tube bundles with 4 to 6% molybdenum- containing stainless steels. Edward Blessman of Trent Tube, East Troy, Wisconsin, contributed the information in this article and IMOA would like to thank him for his assistance. Nicole Kinsman, formerly of Technical Marketing Resources (Consultants to IMOA) is the author.
Moly does the Job: Service water system in nuclear power plant
released in 2000
A North American nuclear power plant originally had a lined carbon steel service water piping system. The system began to deteriorate within a few years of installation, especially at the welded joints of the carbon steel piping.

Articles

Two-in-one solar panels
07/02/2017
This innovative hybrid system combines photovoltaic cells with a molybdenum-containing stainless-steel heat exchanger. It produces both electricity and domestic hot water at the same time, greatly increasing the amount of solar energy extracted per square meter.
Guide to high-performance alloys
20/09/2016
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.
Molybdenum’s nuclear mission
26/02/2016
Nuclear power currently supplies some 11% of the world’s energy needs. Without debating its pros and cons, everyone would agree that the spent fuel already in existence from more than 50 years of generation needs safe handling and disposal. Imparting greatly increased corrosion resistance to stainless steel, molybdenum is making a positive contribution to the ongoing safety of spent fuel management throughout the world.
A breath of fresh air
21/09/2015
Clean air is a basic human need for a healthy life. Yet, advances in living standards (electricity on demand, automobiles, and consumer goods) contribute to air pollution in manufacturing, energy production, and the use of products. As scientists began to understand the connections between air pollution and industrialization, engineers developed technologies to minimize the damage. Molybdenum plays a central role in many of them.
3D printing – future of manufacturing?
26/08/2014
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.
Keeping it cool
18/02/2014
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.
Molybdenum scrap saves resources
15/08/2013
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.