Specific weight of molybdenum, its properties, applications and value table

Molybdenum is a chemical element in the periodic table with atomic number 42. It is a gray metal with a silvery tint. Its content in the Earth’s crust reaches 0.001 percent. This material does not occur in nature in a free state; it is mainly found as part of minerals.

Table of the specific weight of molybdenum

The weight of molybdenum depends on such a parameter as specific weight. Since this material is complex, it is not possible to calculate the specific weight of molybdenum in field conditions. This procedure is carried out in special chemical laboratories. For pure molybdenum, the reference density is about 10.28 g/cm³, or roughly 10,280 kg/m³. Powders, alloys and porous products can have a different bulk or average density.

To make it easier to calculate the weight indicators of molybdenum and its specific weight, below is a table with these values, as well as recalculations for different units of measurement.

Properties of molybdenum

Since this material belongs to the group of refractory metals, molybdenum is considered a transition element. It has high hardness but is easily polished. At high temperatures it can be welded and forged. Its melting point ranges from 2610 to 2630 °C, while it boils only at a temperature of about 4639 °C.

Among the main characteristics of this type of material, the following should be noted:

• High elastic properties
• Excellent thermal resistance
• Low coefficient of thermal expansion
• Low thermal-neutron capture cross section
• Good electrical conductivity. It is higher than that of iron, platinum and nickel, but lower than that of copper.
• Good mechanical strength. In this parameter, molybdenum is slightly inferior to tungsten, but it is more easily processed by pressure forming.
• Excellent high-temperature strength due to its high melting point
• Due to its density, which is 10280 kg/m³, molybdenum has high specific strength
• Good corrosion resistance in many environments; actual resistance depends on temperature, reagent concentration and surface condition

All these properties make molybdenum an excellent material for certain types of work. However, it also has some disadvantages, namely:

• Low scale resistance
• Welded joints in which this material was used have high brittleness
• At low temperature conditions, molybdenum has low ductility
• This type of material can be strengthened by work hardening only up to the range from 700 to 800 °C. At higher temperatures, softening occurs due to recovery.

Applications of molybdenum

Molybdenum is often used as an alloying additive for a variety of alloys. This material performs very well in the manufacture of equipment for work in aggressive environments, including in vacuum at temperatures up to 1800 °C. Therefore, it is often used to manufacture parts for rocket nozzles, in nuclear power reactors, and also in electric vacuum devices.

Molybdenum is also used in aircraft and rocket parts where high-temperature strength, heat-shielding behavior and strength retention at elevated temperatures are important. In such conditions it is an important refractory material, but selection always depends on temperature, environment, load and the requirements of the specific part.