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Molybdenums' contribution to sustainable development
12/12/2012
IMOA’s Secretary General, Tim Outteridge, gave a presentation to the China International Tungsten Molybdenum & Vanadium Forum 2012 in Changsha, China, on 12 November, entitled ‘Molybdenum’s Contribution to Sustainable Development’.
Attended by some 200 delegates including producers and converters, the conference was a further opportunity to raise awareness of molybdenum’s contribution to sustainable development.
Mr Outteridge described the key properties of molybdenum before outlining the challenges to sustainable development arising from global energy demand, industrialisation and urbanisation.Taking each of these in turn, he demonstrated how the unique attributes of molybdenum were being put to use in the development of sustainable practices and technologies.
Molybdenum is an important enabler of many sustainable technologies through its use as an alloy and occasionally as a primary component.In different alloys, molybdenum enhances strength, even at high temperatures, maintains toughness, increases durability and provides exceptional resistance to corrosion.Chemically, it is serves many uses as a catalyst.
“Molybdenum already makes a substantial contribution to sustainable development in many technologies and applications which I outlined in the presentation,” said Mr Outteridge.“It plays a key role in many renewable energy applications such as hydroelectric, wind and solar and helps to protect the environment through its use in catalysts for the production of ultra-low sulfur diesel, and in alloys for flue gas desulfurization installations at power stations.
“Vehicle engines and power stations run more efficiently at the higher temperatures enabled by moly-containing alloys, and in high strength steels molybdenum contributes towards ‘lightweighting’ of cars and trucks and to reducing raw material and energy use in construction projects.”
“The challenges of sustainable development must be addressed and molybdenum has a role to play in many technologies and applications which are in use today, actively contributing to a more sustainable future,” he added.
General information for media
IMOA is a non profit trade association, representing the majority of the molybdenum industry worldwide. It works to raise awareness about the unique properties of molybdenum, its beneficial effects on materials performance, its safety in use and its contribution to sustainable development.
Molybdenum is added to alloy steels to improve strength, toughness, hardenability and weldability for numerous applications in the automotive, shipbuilding, construction, mining, chemical, oil & gas and energy generation industries. In stainless steels and superalloys, it improves corrosion resistance and high-temperature performance and finds uses in many industrial applications. It is also used in a variety of products from catalysts and lubricants to pigments and paint.
IMOA has a strict antitrust compliance policy which delegates of all meetings are required to observe. All such meetings are observed by legal counsel.
For more information please email the communications team at media@imoa.info.
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