Molybdenum

Molybdenum is a silver-grey metal known for its high strength and resistance to heat and corrosion. It is mainly extracted from molybdenite ore, with key production centres in China, the United States, and Chile. Molybdenum is primarily used in steel alloys, electronics, and as a catalyst in the chemical industry.

Sub-Category	Abbreviation	Core Content Range	Size Range
Ferromolybdenum	FeMo	Mo 30-100%	0-250 mm
Molybdenum Metal	Mo Metal	Mo 98-100%	1-600 mm
Molybdenum Metal Scrap	Mo Metal Scrap	Mo 99.8-100%	n/a
Molybdenum Oxide Briquettes	MoOx Briq	Mo 5-100%	10-50 mm
Molybdenum Oxide Powder	MoOx Powder	Mo 55-100%	0-70 mm
Unroasted Molybdenum Concentrate	UMC Powder	Various	n/a

Please note that the above listed sub-categories including its core content and size ranges are just a snapshot of Metalshub’s currently traded raw materials. We are adding new sub-categories on a monthly basis and would be happy to assess your specific requirements to this category.

Metalshub provides producers and consumers of molybdenum with a software solution to improve the way they buy or sell it. Our software connects over 2,000 companies in a joint trading network. This allows sellers to discover new buyers of molybdenum and buyers to discover new suppliers of molybdenum.

For buyers, Metalshub’s Procurement Solution allows steel mills, foundries, and other consumers to digitalise their procurement process in order to increase sourcing efficiency, ensure compliant buying, and take data-driven decisions. For sellers, Metalshub’s Sales Solution allows miners, traders, and other sellers to digitalise their sales process, manage inventory, and optimise their sales book.

Several institutions provide pricing for molybdenum:

1. Argus Media: Argus tracks molybdenum prices journalistically, providing real-time price assessments for different regions and products like molybdenum concentrate and ferromolybdenum ​(Argus Media).
2. S&P Global: S&P provides journalistic molybdenum price analysis, especially in relation to its use in the steel industry. Their data covers global market trends and highlights significant price movements​ (S&P Global).
3. Metis: For ferromolybdenum as well as molybdenum oxide briquettes, robust transaction-based price data is made available by Metis. The prices are adjusted considering FCA warehouse in a major European sea port and prepayment (Metis).

Beyond these three examples, other providers may also provide prices.

The top producers of molybdenum include:

• China – ~45% of global molybdenum production
• United States – ~20% of global molybdenum production
• Chile – ~15% of global molybdenum production
• Peru – ~<10% of global molybdenum production
• Mexico – ~5% of global molybdenum production

Some of the key producers of molybdenum include:

• China Molybdenum (China) – ~20% of global molybdenum production
• Freeport-McMoRan (USA) – ~<15% of global molybdenum production
• Codelco (Chile) – ~10% of global molybdenum production
• Southern Copper Corporation (Mexico) – ~<10% of global molybdenum production
• Grupo México (Mexico) – ~<10% of global molybdenum production

Molybdenum is extracted from molybdenite ore, primarily through open-pit mining operations. The ore is crushed and ground, and molybdenum is separated through flotation. The extracted molybdenum concentrate is then roasted to produce molybdenum oxide, which can be further refined into ferromolybdenum or molybdenum metal. Molybdenum is often produced as a byproduct of copper mining.

Molybdenum is primarily used in steel alloys (~70%), where it improves strength, heat resistance, and corrosion resistance. It is also used in electronics (~15%) for its conductive properties and in the chemical industry (~10%) as a catalyst in various reactions.