# Molybdenum: Overview

Steel, superalloys, catalysts, lubricants and pigments

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/molybdenum/overview/

What this tab covers What the commodity is used for, why, in what volumes and with what alternatives, and its chain from mine or field to end user. Also the latest price moves, top recent news, three things to know, and buttons into each tab.

#### Key uses

| Use | Share | Annual volume | Why this commodity | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Engineering and alloy steels (pipelines, gears, pressure vessels, automotive parts)** | n/a | n/a basis | Fractions of a percent of molybdenum make steel harder, tougher and more resistant to softening at high temperature, so thick sections can be heat-treated evenly. It is valued in oil and gas pipe, power plant tubing, gears and crankshafts. USGS notes little substitution in steels and cast irons. USGS MCS 2026; Tilton and Guzman (2016) | Boron, chromium, niobium and vanadium in some alloy steels (USGS) Thicker sections of plain carbon steel |
| **Stainless steels (duplex and austenitic grades such as 316)** | n/a | n/a basis | Molybdenum sharply improves stainless steel's resistance to pitting by chlorides, so it is specified for seawater, desalination, chemical plants, food processing and coastal buildings. Grades with 2-3% molybdenum are standard in these settings. USGS MCS 2026 | Higher-nickel or higher-chromium grades Titanium or nickel alloys in severe service Coated carbon steel |
| **Tool and high-speed steels, superalloys and molybdenum metal** | n/a | n/a basis | Molybdenum melts at 2,623 C and keeps strength when hot. It goes into high-speed cutting steels, nickel superalloys for jet engines, and pure metal for furnace parts, glass-melting electrodes and electronics. China put molybdenum powders under export control in February 2025 (USGS). USGS MCS 2026 | Tungsten in tool steels (USGS) Graphite, tantalum and tungsten in high-temperature furnace parts (USGS) |
| **Chemicals: refinery catalysts, lubricants, pigments** | n/a | n/a basis | Cobalt-molybdenum and nickel-molybdenum catalysts remove sulphur from diesel and other fuels in hydrotreaters, a use driven by fuel-quality rules. Molybdenum disulphide is a solid lubricant, and molybdate orange is a pigment. Spent catalysts are a recycling source. USGS MCS 2026 | Cadmium-red, chrome-orange and organic pigments (USGS) Tungsten-based catalysts in some processes Graphite and PTFE lubricants |
| **Cast iron and foundry products** | n/a | n/a basis | Molybdenum strengthens grey and ductile iron for engine blocks, brake drums and mill rolls, improving wear resistance and heat tolerance. USGS MCS 2026 | Nickel, chromium and copper additions Austempering heat treatment |

 End-use shares are not given in the USGS or EU sources used; the International Molybdenum Association publishes first-use shares to members. World use was about 77,400 t in Q1 2025 alone, with China taking about 38,500 t and Europe 13,000 t (IMOA, via SteelRadar).

#### From mine to user

1. **1. Porphyry mining** Molybdenite (MoS2) is mined from low-grade porphyry deposits, either primary molybdenum mines or copper mines. World mine output was about 260,000 t Mo in 2025 (USGS).
2. **2. Flotation** Ore is ground and floated. At copper mines, a bulk copper-molybdenum concentrate is split in a second circuit to give molybdenite concentrate.
3. **3. Roasting** Concentrate is roasted in air to technical molybdic oxide (about 57% Mo). The US had three roasting plants in 2025 (USGS).
4. **4. Conversion** Oxide is converted to ferromolybdenum (about 60-70% Mo), or to ammonium molybdate, powder and metal.
5. **5. Trade** Chile, Peru and the US exported 68% of world molybdenum ores and concentrates by value in 2024 (UN Comtrade).
6. **6. Steelmaking and chemicals** Steel mills add ferromolybdenum or oxide to the melt; catalyst makers use molybdate chemicals.
7. **7. End use and recycling** Steel and catalyst scrap carries molybdenum back into new products; recycled material may be up to 30% of US apparent supply (USGS).

#### Price movement snapshot 2026-10-25

No public daily or monthly benchmark price for this commodity in the datasets used.
 World production 281k tonnes, 2024 Largest producer China 41.52% of world Reserve life 65 yrs reserves ÷ 2025 output

#### Three things to know

- Only China and the US produce molybdenum from both primary mines and copper by-product mines (USGS).
- China's share of world molybdenum mining rose from 20% in 2000 to 42% in 2013 (Humphreys).
- Molybdenum's companionality with copper ranged between 47% and 75% from 1985 to 2013 (Nassar et al.).

#### Top recent news snapshot 2026-10-25, last 30 days

- [Platts corrects Daily Dealer Molybdenum Oxide rationale for September 25](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi-gFBVV95cUxOZlFwX1lhQXpaamNacjAxNjMyVUk2ZnRFc1FHY1RVSlQzYzlybXpHSEROcUtkOFh3MmhWVVFjWGJWTEtyM0tqRjFBaWVwWExiOWFXbEUtMXp0aHBVeTQtX0pwVDczb3Bkd19uY1Y5Nk02anJkOXVPY3lFUlBtcUpQSDFtbWt1b2k2aUpmVEtqR05YLTZnSVhXaVRHYU82S2RmU1FIeEhVRGYyQ1YyYnMzUVJjVXlVZ1d6bmFCTzRqbk44N0FxT3lXWHhrZ2RTT0RQeTMteUZRbmMxOHFEbjJiMjZacTg5dl90eVV1OHphUXFqOGh0NjRpRlJB?oc=5)S&P Global · 2026-09-28
- [India: Ferro molybdenum prices remain stable amid balanced market fundamentals](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwAFBVV95cUxNQlFHcE9xVVZNUW1wQjNEQlljbmVOMUt3akpScHN4VTVqbEJsOWgyUzExSVNCdm5UVG9tdXc5OUFBblJlNDktbXA3OVVSOFJ3Sm5zTzJxMWRFNFFodXZqZE1mLUJYSkRhX3FfYUxIUTRfbll6ZmZaZXhua1NpNS0tUWhQV1ZSSm1qVWg3c2JYYmhuOEFMMWNCNXpmcDVlUnlGRkpfaDBWdnFRZVd3MS1wSWdubHNWRE5wMXpmams5emg?oc=5)BigMint · 2026-10-07
- [Molybdenum heads for 6th straight deficit, record prices: BMO](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiwFBVV95cUxPaFlGOVEtYXRMQVdBMUMtNVZMUUtHQUEwN1Rqd1RPZ2YzMUlGckhLa1ZqeDNqMElaSmJDRnozX1EzVmJMTzYxbmhLM0d3Z2JmU1Yxdm5hZUVOYzJfQzF2Q1VvYkVUUnRXYkVDWG1wRVFKTC0zQTJoSVNBUWNLV1BaZEFIRDFMZDBjMXBF?oc=5)Mining.com · 2026-10-08
- [US-based M2i partners with Polish companies to explore tungsten, molybdenum potential](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizAFBVV95cUxQLTc3eEtWNVhzYTlHUHBENEFENjJzN3N2c0dEWDNJR0h6d3Y2cVRRRFp4cFRCV1MyZWh2Y0ZoUDVyUWhJVS1jVDZqTGFmTHRHWjB2SE92THFSRWJMZlMyOEVBRlIwWDVlVk1ReVNLUEVHWHpXSV9kdWE1aDRST3hEaks1MmJTUnk5RGlQYXdlOEFUVjRIT05IejBGVGhRYndLT0tKTU9NT215LUN6OXhBbUYwZ2Y3OWtLcG56VUozUlNSTWFEQkxXWWJvNVM?oc=5)Mining Weekly · 2026-09-29
- [Merck expands Korea molybdenum supply for chip sector](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiggFBVV95cUxNQm9xQWVMV2xsNXlMVDhJY2RGNWNyRE02d2VrRmNBMy1PVG1DNVBjWmUzVExhalRJc0pFT1hrRndFRW9ZSERzeGxrWXhBNTh2elpQeTJrNHpGN2xqdUVWRGVYNGNsZmd5Z0VMRmlnd0txZHZFeU9fbkRuN1FpTk9TYzZR?oc=5)Mining.com.au · 2026-10-22

#### Chemicals made from it
[FCC Refining catalysts](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/refining_catalysts/)

#### Read the tabs
[Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/molybdenum/extraction/)[Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/molybdenum/production/)[Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/molybdenum/stocks/)[Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/molybdenum/cycles/)[Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/molybdenum/trading/)[Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/molybdenum/movement/)[Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/molybdenum/criticality/)[Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/molybdenum/characteristics/)[Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/molybdenum/emissions/)

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/molybdenum/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/molybdenum/correlation/index.md)
- [Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/molybdenum/extraction/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/molybdenum/production/index.md)
- [Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/molybdenum/stocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/molybdenum/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/molybdenum/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/molybdenum/movement/index.md)
- [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/molybdenum/criticality/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/molybdenum/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/molybdenum/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/molybdenum/links/index.md)