Molybdenum & sustainability

This brochure examines how molybdenum supports life, its availability in natural sources, recommended dietary allowances and how it is used in applications as diverse as agriculture and medicine.

‘A Sustainable World with Molybdenum’ brings together many different examples of molybdenum’s important contribution to global sustainable development including energy efficiency, low carbon power generation, environmental protection, resource conservation and quality of life.

The animation and brochure, issued by Team Stainless, show how stainless steel contributes to a sustainable world in areas including transportation, healthcare, power and water supply and food.

View the interactive animation

Lightweighting car components using molybdenum-containing advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) can achieve significant environmental savings. This life cycle assessment study, conducted by PE International in collaboration with IMOA, measured the impact of replacing the Ford Fusion’s B-pillar with a new lightweight design manufactured from AHSS. Global Warming Potential (GWP) was reduced by 29%, producing lifetime GWP savings of 165 kg CO₂e per car, equivalent to the emissions from driving the vehicle over 1,000 km.

Concerns about sulfur dioxide emissions have led to very large reductions in the limits on sulfur in vehicle fuel. Hydrodesulfurization removes sulfur from diesel using molybdenum-based catalysts. This lifecycle analysis study compared the total environmental impacts of burning diesel fuel containing 2000 parts per million (ppm) of sulfur with today’s Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD), containing 10 ppm. The study found that sulfur dioxide emissions are now at least 100 times lower than 1993 levels, with a 24% reduction in acidification potential and a 44% reduction in the impact of particulate matter, both associated with risks to health and the environment.

Duplex stainless steel provides exceptional resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion from chlorides, and is therefore ideally suited to areas exposed to coastal waters and deicing salts. This lifecycle analysis study compared the total environmental impacts of the use of duplex stainless steel containing 3.1% molybdenum to clad the Myllsilta bridge in Finland, compared with mild steel and zinc-epoxy paint. The study found a 62% reduction in global warming potential, a 67% reduction in eutrophication potential and a 38% reduction in non-renewable energy, over the estimated lifetime of the bridge. The selected option also reduced photochemical ozone creation potential by 99%, by dispensing with the need for anti-corrosion paint.

Lightweighting car components using molybdenum-containing advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) can achieve significant environmental savings. This life cycle assessment study, conducted by PE International in collaboration with IMOA, measured the impact of replacing the Ford Fusion’s B-pillar with a new lightweight design manufactured from AHSS. Global Warming Potential (GWP) was reduced by 29%, producing lifetime GWP savings of 165 kg CO₂e per car, equivalent to the emissions from driving the vehicle over 1,000 km.

Molybdenum is essential to plant growth. Deficiencies can be caused by acidic soils which prevent uptake but where there is not enough molybdenum present in the soil, applying fertilizer, seed or foliar treatments can increase productivity significantly. This case study explores the sustainability benefits of correcting molybdenum deficiency, optimizing output from existing agricultural production and helping to meet the needs of a growing population while minimizing the amount of additional land turned over to food production.

Water is essential to life but global supplies are under pressure from population growth and may be unable to sustain total demand by 2025. Desalination plants provide reliable, sustainable supplies of fresh water but need to be constructed from materials that can withstand such hostile environments. This case study explores the sustainability benefits of using molybdenum-containing stainless steel in the construction of seawater desalination plants, greatly increasing resistance to corrosion and enabling cost-effective, reliable operation.

Car bodies and chassis are increasingly manufactured from high-strength steel (HSS). This study examines the use of HSS, particularly molybdenum-containing grades, to increase strength and reduce overall weight. Lighter vehicles manufactured with HSS use less fuel and emit less C02 while helping to increase passenger safety. HSS enables weight reductions of 20-25%, with ultra HSS having the potential to reduce weight by a further 20%.

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.

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.

Sunscreens greatly reduce the need for air conditioning in buildings. The Federal Building in San Francisco was built with computer-controlled stainless steel sunscreens which, together with natural ventilation, reduce the energy needed to cool the building by two-thirds. The molybdenum-containing stainless steel is highly corrosion resistant and is specified for a design life of 100 years.

Molybdenum is an important alloying element in high-strength steel (HSS), which enables lighter and stronger structures than conventional steel. This study looks at the use of HSS in the Friends Arena, Stockholm, which reduced the quantity of steel used for construction by 17% and also cut greenhouse gas emissions by 17% over the lifetime of the stadium.