Overview

Molybdenum was one of the first metals to be discovered by a modern chemist. It was found in 1781 by Swedish chemist Peter Jacob Hjelm (1746-1813). Hjelm's work on the element was not published, however, until more than a century later.

Molybdenum is a transition metal, placing it in the center of the periodic table. The periodic table is a chart that shows how chemical elements are related to one another.

Molybdenum is a hard, silvery metal with a very high melting point. It is used primarily to make alloys with other metals. An alloy is a mixture of two or more metals. The mixture has properties different from those of the individual metals. The most common alloys of molybdenum are those with steel. Molybdenum improves the strength, toughness, resistance to wear and corrosion, and ability to harden steel.