Editorial: Industrial relevance of molybdenum in China

Abstract

About 80% of all molybdenum mined in the world (not including units recovered via recycling) is used as an alloying element in iron and steel. In general, the intensity of molybdenum use in China is still lower than in more highly developed regions such as the USA and Europe. This difference is manifest in both carbon steels and stainless steels, suggesting a significant opportunity for more widespread use of molybdenum in the future as China follows its self-reliance policy, calling for more sophisticated materials. Active market development, as being pursued by the International Molybdenum Association (IMOA), is a key asset in that respect. This article summarizes some key facts on molybdenum mining, use and market development in China.

Keywords

China molybdenum industry / Global molybdenum reserves / Molybdenum applications / End-user markets / Molybdenum alloying / Market development

References

[1.] United States Geological Survey (USGS)—National Minerals Information Center (2019). Accessed 09 May 2019

[2.] Moll M (2018) Molybdenum end use analysis 2018, Steel & Metals Market Research GmbH (SMR), Reutte, Austria

[3.] IMOA estimate based on data from Worldsteel, ISSF and SMR

[4.] Mohrbacher H. Reverse metallurgical engineering towards sustainable manufacturing of vehicles using Nb and Mo alloyed high performance steels. Adv Manuf, 2013, 1: 28-41.