Most people take drinking water for granted, largely unaware of the vast network of pipes connecting the reservoir and treatment plant to the faucet. Life seems unimaginable without it, yet on average more than a quarter of the water distributed by utility companies never reaches a single customer.

The propeller shaft may be the most important component of any motorized vessel. It drives the propeller, hour after hour, day after day. Molybdenum provides improved strength and corrosion resistance in several high-performance stainless steel grades used in demanding shaft applications.

Every day large amounts of food waste accumulate in restaurants, food courts, hotels, supermarkets, hospitals, stadiums and convention centers. Typically this volume goes into the waste bins and has to be hauled away for off-site disposal. Ultra-modern biodigesters, machines with a “stomach” of molybdenumcontaining stainless steel, are revolutionizing the way such waste is handled in institutional settings.

A gigantic airtight enclosure is under construction at Chernobyl. It is designed to survive temperature extremes, earthquakes and tornados and prevent corrosion in order to protect the environment from the encapsulated but still dangerous reactor. Clad in molybdenum-grade Type 316L stainless steel, the structure will safely contain radioactive dust and debris for more than a century.

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.