A silvery hard metallic transition element; a.n. 42; r.a.m. 95.94; r.d. 10.22; m.p. 2617°C; b.p. 4612°C. It is found in molybdenite (MoS2), the metal being extracted by roasting to give the oxide, followed by reduction with hydrogen. The element is used in alloy steels. Molybdenum(IV) sulphide (MoS2) is used as a lubricant. Chemically, it is unreactive, being unaffected by most acids. It oxidizes at high temperatures and can be dissolved in molten alkali to give a range of molybdates and polymolybdates. Molybdenum was discovered in 1778 by Karl Scheele.
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