Stanford Materials Corporation

Stanford Materials Corporation is a worldwide supplier of various oxides, metals, alloys, advanced ceramic materials, and minerals.

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Ten Important Trivia about Titanium Metals

Titanium is one of the most important materials that is used in many applications today. It has been over 200 years since titanium was discovered, but it was only in the late 1940's that it was used for commercial and industrial applications. Titanium metals are now used for aircrafts, medical equipment, sporting goods, automotive components, and several other applications.

  Pure titanium is hard to find, since it has to be extracted from rutile and the process is long and quite expensive. Commercial grade titanium has a strength similar to low-grade steel alloys but is about 45% less dense than steel. The biggest world producer of titanium metals today are China, followed by Russia and Japan.

  Here are ten important trivia about titanium metals:

  Titanium was dubbed as the "strategic metal", "wonder metal" and "metal of the future" in the mid 1950s. It has the unique physical properties of low density, high strength-to-weight ratio, durability and corrosion resistance, which makes it an ideal material for aircrafts and spacecrafts.

  Titanium has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of all earth metals. This means products made of titanium are stronger but less heavier.

  The Lockheed's SR-71 Blackbird spy plane, which was first flown in 1964, was made of 93% titanium metals. It was designed to withstand 500゜F. The silver gray titanium surface was painted black to protect it from extreme heat and to protect the pilot from the blinding sunlight.

  The fastest submarine ever built, the Soviet Project 661 - The Anchar, has a lightweight titanium hull which allows it to move at an unprecedented speed record of 51 miles per hour.

  In 1955, General Motors Firebird II experimental concept car's body was built entirely from titanium. However, the concept car was never produced for mass consumption and the Firebird name was later on adopted by Ford for another line of cars.

  In 2001, Apple computer introduced into the market a laptop computer with a titanium case. Apple was the first company to use 95.5% pure grade titanium metals for its Apple G4 titanium PowerBook . The laptop weighs only at 5.3 pounds.

  In the 1960s, titanium metals became popular materials for racing bike frames, which weigh only about 2.5 pounds on the average. Extremely expensive titanium bike frames were welded by automaker Lamborghini in the '60s and the bikes were ridden to victory during the Tour de France bike race. Mass production of bikes with titanium frames started in 1974.

  The Cerritos Public Library was the first building in the U.S. to have a titanium exterior. The library's exterior was clad in titanium metals when it was renovated in 2002.

  The most famous building covered in titanium metals is the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain. This was built in 1997 by Frank O, Gehry and about 343,000 sq. ft. of titanium covered the building.

  The Boeing 777 contains about 34,200 pounds of titanium metals. It entered service in 1995 and is still the most titanium-intensive commercial plane in the world.

  By Stanford Materials    http://stanfordmaterials.com

Stanford Materials Corporation is a worldwide supplier of various oxides, metals, alloys, advanced ceramic materials, and minerals. It was established in 1994 to supply high quality rare earth products to our customers in the research and development fields. To meet increasing demands for rare earth products and other materials, Stanford Materials now carries a variety of materials to serve not only our customers in research and development but also manufacturers in the ceramic, metallurgy and electronic industries. Stanford Materials carries both technical grade materials for industries as well as high purity chemicals (up to 99.99999%) for research institutes.

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Molybdenum Alloys: Varieties of Applications

Molybdenum alloys are in much used today because of some specific qualities of molybdenum. Its unique chemical and mechanical properties pave the way for production of various kinds of alloys. It is possible to get a perfect product which is capable of meeting your exact requirements. Some of these distinctive qualities include high level of thermal conductivity, low coefficient of thermal expansion and very high melting point.

  All-Round Performer

Molybdenum is an indisputable all round performing element that can serve various types of purposes. For example, one can get wires and ribbons used in lighting sector. For power electronic industry, semiconductor base plates can be produced. Moreover, it is also used in production of sputtering targets of solar cells coating, flat screens, glass melting electrodes and high temperature furnaces. Its extraordinary chemical resistance makes it perfect for many chemical applications.

  Depending upon the application, you can decide whether you need molybdenum alloys or pure molybdenum. Addition of a particular type of alloy allows us to get a perfect matching product for any application. For example, addition of carbide makes it usable across all temperature ranges. Rhenium increases its ductility at room temperature. If you wish to increase the thermal conductivity then copper can do it without making a big difference to coefficient of expansion. On the other hand, if your motto is to boost creep resistance and recrystallization temperature, then oxides are better additives.

  We also have the flexibility of determining physical properties, chemical properties, and mechanical properties along with machinability and recrystallization behavior.

  Alloy Types in the Market

Titanium zirconium molybdenum or TZM is an alloy which is produced by use of extremely fine carbides in small quantity. It is suitable for high temperature applications such as rotating anodes in X-ray tubes or forging tools due to better creep resistance. However, in case of extreme mechanical and thermal loads, it is better to use molybdenum hafnium carbon or MHC. It is an ideal choice for metal forming applications.

  Molybdenum lanthanum oxide or MLO is an alloy that has stacked fiber structure. This quality allows it to withstand the high temperature up to 2,000 degree Celsius. This alloy is used to machine stranded and other wires and evaporator coils. It is also used in feeding and retention of wires in lighting industry. However, you should use MoILQ in stead of MLO in the applications where forming is required. Halogen lamps, incandescent lamps and production of filaments are some areas where MoILQ is used.

  Molybdenum tungsten (MoW), molybdenum rhenium (MoRe), molybdenum copper (MoCu), molybdenum zirconium oxide (MoZrO2), molybdenum niobium (MoNb) and molybdenum tantalum (MoTa) are some other molybdenum-based alloys that are useful in different areas.

  Molybdenum and tungsten have many similar qualities because both of these elements belong to same group in periodic table. Moreover, many chemical properties along with atomic structure and outstanding thermal conductivity are also common in both elements. However, molybdenum is preferred because its ability to deform at low temperature makes it easy to use.

  By Stanford Materials   http://stanfordmaterials.com

Stanford Materials Corporation is a worldwide supplier of various oxides, metals, alloys, advanced ceramic materials, and minerals. It was established in 1994 to supply high quality rare earth products to our customers in the research and development fields. To meet increasing demands for rare earth products and other materials, Stanford Materials now carries a variety of materials to serve not only our customers in research and development but also manufacturers in the ceramic, metallurgy and electronic industries. Stanford Materials carries both technical grade materials for industries as well as high purity chemicals (up to 99.99999%) for research institutes.

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Molybdenum Products: Rods, Sheets, Plates and Wires

Molybdenum is referred to as a refractory metal. This is an uncommon metal that boasts amazing resistance to heat and other unique physical characteristics. Moly is used largely in industrial processes that cannot be done with weaker metals that are ruined by high temperatures. Mo is suitable in applications that require high melting points. When temperatures are increased, the strength of moly also increases. It is therefore safe in hot furnaces than most rare metals are. In addition to great thermal and electrical conductivity, molybdenum metal boasts low coefficient of expansion.

This characteristic makes Mo the key metal required by electrical and electronic engineers. Because of its extraordinary properties, moly is used to make different products. It is shaped into many forms, sizes and dimensions. Each product has a pre-determined use that the customer should already know about prior to ordering it. If customers want assistance, they should contact the internet-based molybdenum companythey are using. Many online vendors have placed their contact details on their websites.

Some of them have real time instant chatting tools at the bottom right corner of their sites. Molybdenum products can be made to order. The seller can cut, shear, grind or slit molybdenum parts according to the specifications of a customer. Mo rods are examples of available products for sale. Together with molybdenum sheets and plates, moly rods are used to manufacture sophisticated missiles. Specifically, they are used to generate parts such as high-temperature proof structural components, nose cones, support vanes, shields for heat radiation, nozzles and re-entry cones among other things.

Molybdenum plates, rods and sheets are also employed in the electronics industry. They are utilized in the manufacturing of magnetron end hats filaments, seals (glass to metal), x-ray tube parts and cathodes. As stated above, molybdenum is highly desirable because of its ability to resist high temperatures. Because of this wonderful property, Mo plates, rods and sheets are very useful in making containers that normally host substances that are heated in very hot furnaces. They are also applicable in furnace windings.

Another commonly available product is the molybdenum wires. This is rampantly used in the manufacturing of power tube grids. It is also needed in the construction of power support structures. Both activities require an environment that is comprised of very high temperatures, low thermal expansion and low vapor pressure. Another common use for a Mo wire is in the furnace when resistance heating components are being made. It works very well in heavily heated, vacuum hydrogen atmosphere furnaces.

Moly wires can act as a heat sink in lighting fixtures containing tungsten filaments. All the above-mentioned products: molybdenum rods, sheets, plates and wires come in varied sizes sand weights. It’s important to know the size prior to ordering. Sheets are usually big because many smaller products are cut from them. There are vendors who sell up to five thousand kilograms of sheets each month. A good vendor describes their moly items to ease the decision making process of a prospective customer. It is a good idea to read product descriptions. Doing price comparisons to arrive at the most affordable rate for a given moly product is much recommended too.

By Stanford Materials  http://stanfordmaterials.com

Stanford Materials Corporation is a worldwide supplier of various oxides, metals, alloys, advanced ceramic materials, and minerals. It was established in 1994 to supply high quality rare earth products to our customers in the research and development fields. To meet increasing demands for rare earth products and other materials, Stanford Materials now carries a variety of materials to serve not only our customers in research and development but also manufacturers in the ceramic, metallurgy and electronic industries. Stanford Materials carries both technical grade materials for industries as well as high purity chemicals (up to 99.99999%) for research institutes.

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Things You Need To Know When Machining Tungsten

Tungsten is known to be a fairly rare metal and when it is used on its own it has incredible strength. Wolframite and scheelite are some of the ores that are found in it and is only to be found in a natural form in chemical compounds. Speed steel is a prime example of what can be made from tungsten and there will be nearly 20% in each section. It is much denser than lead and its density will be on a par with uranium. There are many uses for machined tungstenincluding providing parts for the aerospace industry along with the electronics industry and automotive industry. Its strength makes it an ideal metal to use for weapons and many other items that need to be durable in order to be used effectively.

By and large its biggest uses are in the construction and petroleum industries, where it is used in the form of tungsten carbide. When machined, tungsten is very strong and long lasting and added to this the thermal expansion rates are low. This makes it a great product to use, as there is very little chance that the machined item will chip or break. It is possible to form tungsten into many different shapes and the ways this can be done are wide and varied. It can be punched stamped, riveted, sheared, bent and folded. Although this is a great advantage, care needs to be taken when machining tungsten as it can be brittle under room temperature.

Tungsten metal is best cut when it has reached a temperature much above its transition temperature. This is to make sure that there is no cracking, and to get the best results, the temperature must remain high throughout the entire process. It has a re-crystallization temperature and it is important that this is not reached as there is the risk of the end product being easily damaged. When machining tungsten, a bend should always be made so that the bend and the sheets rolling direction are perpendicular to each other. There should be sharp cutting edges and generous bending radii should be made – and this should be as large as possible.

Although it is possible to join sections of tungsten material to other pieces of tungsten or other metals, it is not the easiest process to carry out. The welding process will always leave the metal a little brittle, but when there is the need for a joint that is tight and will not leak, this is the only process that will work effectively. If they do not have to be leak tight, then rivets will be the answer. The rivets can be either tungsten or tantalum, but the tantalum ones will be easier to use even if they are not as strong. When machining tungsten alloy, you can have a finished product that has a fine finish and close tolerance. The finished product is much like grey cast iron and there is not always the need for coolants, so this will make it a more cost effective process.

By Stanford Materials    http://stanfordmaterials.com

Stanford Materials Corporation is a worldwide supplier of various oxides, metals, alloys, advanced ceramic materials, and minerals. It was established in 1994 to supply high quality rare earth products to our customers in the research and development fields. To meet increasing demands for rare earth products and other materials, Stanford Materials now carries a variety of materials to serve not only our customers in research and development but also manufacturers in the ceramic, metallurgy and electronic industries. Stanford Materials carries both technical grade materials for industries as well as high purity chemicals (up to 99.99999%) for research institutes.

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Molybdenum Information: Boost Your Understanding

Discovered in 1778 in Sweden, by Carl Welhelm Scheele, Molybdenum is a component of a mineral contained in an ore. Carl’s molybdenum research entailed an ore called molybdenite. His conclusion was that the ore did not possess any lead traces. Also he concluded that the ore contained a new component which he personally called molybdenum. Another chemist, Peter Jacob Hjelm created pure molybdenum metal from its impure structure in 1782.

On the Periodic Table of Element, molybdenum is designated by the symbol Mo. It is also number 42 among Group number 6 members of the Periodic Table. It has a few properties that make it unique. They include the following:

Elasticity - Its young modulus (Longitudinal Strain) is 329 GPa, rigidity modulus (alteration of shape due to tangential stress) is 20 GPa and bulk modulus (inverse of compressibility) is 230 GPa.

Electrical - Molybdenum is known to have electrical resistivity of 5.5*10-8 Ω m.

Hardness - Moly’s mineral hardness on Moh Scale is 5.5. Since the scale ranges from 1 to 10, molybdenum hardness is rather high compared to the hardness of other metals like iron. It has the ability to scratch many other metals classed lower than itself on the Moh scale.

Temperature - Mo has a melting point of 2623 degrees Celsius and a boiling point of 4912 degrees Celsius.

·          Density - Molybdenum density is 10280 kg/m3.

Moly is not easily recognizable as it resembles copper and aluminum. It is a grayish-white metal with a silvery finish. Molybdenum material was used in steel alloys during the First World War as a substitute for tungsten which was scarce then. Again its popularity went down until the Second World War began. The reason why Mo is preferred as an alloying agent is because of its durability, corrosion resistance, extreme temperature resistance and physical strength.

Superalloys that contain molybdenum include nickel based alloys. They are grouped into two: corrosion resistant alloys and high temperature alloys. The latter can be divided further into age-hardenable and solid-solution strengthened. In corrosion-proof nickel-based alloys kept in non-oxidizing surroundings, molybdenum increases their safety in sulfuric acid and halide acids. Moly can also protect against serious corrosion attacks, such as crevice corrosion and pitting when combined with chromium. Good examples of nickel-based alloys that are corrosion-proof in non-oxidizing conditions include C-22, B-3 and C-2000.

These nickel-based molybdenum alloys have many applications in the pharmaceutical industries, petrochemical and pollution control factories and chemical processing industries among others. When moly is used in high-temperature alloys, it protects the alloys from heat damage. It particularly circulates gradually in nickel for solid-solution strengthened alloys. In the age-hardenable alloys that use gamma-prime precipitation, Mo is added to strengthen and minimize lattice variance. Of all moly alloys, steel alloys tolerate the highest temperature quantities and pressures. Because of this property, molybdenum is used in the constructions of jet engines and wrought car components. Also construction and durability of molybdenum wires, electrodes, and tubes depend on its resilience and strength. It can also be shaped into rods, discs, plates, screws, nuts and many other small molybdenum parts.

  By Stanford Materials   http://stanfordmaterials.com

Stanford Materials Corporation is a worldwide supplier of various oxides, metals, alloys, advanced ceramic materials, and minerals. It was established in 1994 to supply high quality rare earth products to our customers in the research and development fields. To meet increasing demands for rare earth products and other materials, Stanford Materials now carries a variety of materials to serve not only our customers in research and development but also manufacturers in the ceramic, metallurgy and electronic industries. Stanford Materials carries both technical grade materials for industries as well as high purity chemicals (up to 99.99999%) for research institutes.

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A Guide on Tungsten Products and Shopping

Tungsten (wolfram) is absolutely strong and applicable in many ways. It is used to alloy other metals that do not match its hardness and resilience. Commonly alloyed metals include steel, nickel, iron, cobalt and chromium. Tungsten alloy metals have many applications, including boring bars, aircraft counterweights, racing vehicles, radiation shields and rocket engine nozzles among others. Because tungsten has a low vapor pressure, a high melting point and a high density, it is fits many practical uses. In high technology vacuum environments tungsten is excellent. As well it is required in the manufacture of glass seals and furnaces.

Because of being heavy, tungsten is able to soak up radioactive radiation. Unique properties of tungsten have also found many uses in the steel, copper, nickel and iron industries. Tungsten’s machinability is great, the reason why it is an alloying agent. There are tungsten products available on the internet made of different alloys. Many tungsten vendors request their customers to be open about their shopping difficulties. If for instance they miss the tungsten items they needed, they are advised to contact the customer care.

Many dealers are able to give custom designs based on the customer’s drawing. The majority of wolfram dealers stock only standard sizes and shapes. But they do not ignore a request to produce bespoke designs. When it comes to personalized sizes, some tungsten suppliers are very flexible. Do you need high temperature furnace components? If so you need specifically shaped tungsten parts, such as rods, plates and sheets. They are also used in the production of medical devices, heavy metal alloys, welding electrodes and glass to metal seals.

The tungsten wire has an assortment of uses in industries. Common applications include lighting, radiation, shielding, vacuum heating, office equipment power tubes’ support frames and evaporation sources in metallurgy processes. The wire has extremely good thermal and electrical conductivity. Tungsten manufacturers and suppliers are very many here in the US. Despite that a serious customer wants to deal with reliable, genuine and serious vendors. As an ordinary person you cannot easily tell the difference between tungsten metal and similar-looking metals. Because of this fact you can fall a victim of buying replica tungsten or a totally different metal that appears like it.

This is particularly when you are dealing with small products like rods, plates, discs, screws, nuts and washers among others. By so doing you will miss the true qualities of pure or alloyed tungsten. It’s important to find a tungsten machinist who could confirm that you have indeed ordered the real thing. There are scam sellers on the internet that won’t mind selling the wrong thing to a gullible customer. Also you should do adequate research about prices. This is because you alone know the amount of money you want to spend. Do not be attracted to very cheap products though, as they may be counterfeit. A tungsten supplier who has achieved a lot of success online will be known on forums and blogs. Therefore you can use these two resources during your internet searches.

By Stanford Materials

Stanford Materials Corporation is a worldwide supplier of various oxides, metals, alloys, advanced ceramic materials, and minerals. It was established in 1994 to supply high quality rare earth products to our customers in the research and development fields. To meet increasing demands for rare earth products and other materials, Stanford Materials now carries a variety of materials to serve not only our customers in research and development but also manufacturers in the ceramic, metallurgy and electronic industries. Stanford Materials carries both technical grade materials for industries as well as high purity chemicals (up to 99.99999%) for research institutes.

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Copper-Tungsten Electrodes and Their Properties

Element I: tungsten

Tungsten is a metallic element denoted by symbol W and has atomic number 74. This element was first identified as a new element in the year 1781 and as an isolated element in 1783. This is a hard and rare chemical element which is also referred to as wolfram. With atomic number 74, tungsten metal has two primary ores that are called wolframite and scheelite. Since this element is not found in its isolated state, it is extracted from these ores by various techniques and procedures.

Physical properties of tungsten

Tungsten is a lustrous looking metallic element which has the highest melting point among all the other elements and is very dense as well.

Tungsten metal has high tensile strength and low vapor pressure.

It is extremely resistant to corrosion and has no toxicity.

Tungsten metal has low coefficient of thermal expansion.

  Element II: copper

Copper is a chemical element which is denoted by symbol Cu and has atomic number 29. This is an extremely ductile metal which has high thermal conductivity. It is a conductor of heat as well as conductivity and in pure form, it is soft and malleable. It is used as constituent of many alloys and is used as a building material quite often.

Physical properties of copper

Copper is a reddish orange colored chemical element which is not very hard in its pure form and has high ductility.

It has high thermal and electrical conductivity and the metallic bonds in copper lack a covalent character and is thus relatively weak.

Copper does not react with water and has 29 isotopes.

Copper is widely used to make copper wires, cables, electric motors, in architecture, in several electronic products and also has antimicrobial applications.

   What are Copper-tungsten electrodes?

Copper and tungsten alloy is a pseudo alloy of tungsten and copper. Since copper and tungsten are not mutually soluble, their microstructure is a metal matrix composite rather than a true alloy. When copper and tungsten are combined, the resultant material gets the properties of the individual elements. Thus what is obtained is a heat-resistant, thermally and electrically conductive and ablation-resistant material. This material is thus used for a variety of applications, of which one is use as copper-tungsten electrode.

Copper-tungsten electrodes are used for electrical discharge machining and electrochemical machining as well. These electrodes are used for the mentioned purposes, due to the following properties and benefits:

They are wear-resistant and can be thus used for a long period of time.

They offer optimum contour sharpness.

These electrodes are extremely easy to work with and offer high-level of efficiency.

They are very conductive as far as thermal and electrical conductivity is concerned and this is one of the primary reasons that this mixture is used for making electrodes.

Due to high melting point of tungsten, copper-tungsten electrodes have considerably longer service time or life.

High surface quality of copper-tungsten electrodes makes them very useful.

Another reason why copper-tungsten electrodes are so common is because they offer very good machinability.

  By Stanford Materials

Stanford Materials Corporation is a worldwide supplier of various oxides, metals, alloys, advanced ceramic materials, and minerals. It was established in 1994 to supply high quality rare earth products to our customers in the research and development fields. To meet increasing demands for rare earth products and other materials, Stanford Materials now carries a variety of materials to serve not only our customers in research and development but also manufacturers in the ceramic, metallurgy and electronic industries. Stanford Materials carries both technical grade materials for industries as well as high purity chemicals (up to 99.99999%) for research institutes.

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What You Need to Know About Buying Titanium

When an incredibly strong item is required then titanium metal is a product that will fit the bill. Although Ti is as strong as steel metal, it only has a low density and it has the additional benefit of not being a metal that suffers from corrosion. It is becoming the metal that a variety of industries are turning to as they carry out research and develop new items. It is used in many hospitals around the world, where it is used as parts for replacement joints.

It has also been used to help the heads of sportsmen as it is used to create the grill that cricketers have on their helmets. Clearly the players’ and manufacturers are confident that titanium grill on helmets will stand up to being hit by a ball bowled at around 90-100 miles an hour. Purchasers in the aerospace industry are happy as well to buy titanium for their products. Titanium is available for sale in a variety of forms, and the intended use is bound to determine the form in which it is bought.

It is provided in bars, plates, tubes and sheet pipes and there are many titanium suppliers, meaning that when placing an order it is possible to find somewhere not too far away to supply it. Many companies have a site online and if you are looking to buy titanium metal and they do not have it in the form you are looking for, then they will be able to source it for you. There are a number of things to consider when you are looking to make a purchase as there can be cost implications from making bad decisions.

If you have been able to win a contract that will ensure you need to buy titanium alloy or any other form of the product, you will be in a position to negotiate a good price for yourself from the supplier. As long as you honor the level of trade that you say you will carry out with them, you will get the items at a price that will allow you to either make an additional profit, or share the savings made with your customer. By choosing the correct supplier, you can be dealing with one of the bigger players in the market and you will benefit from their ability to negotiate great prices and apply advantageous discounts.

If you don’t have to be concerned with the amount you are paying for your materials, then you will be able to spend more time looking for customers or perfecting the items you supply. If you do intend to buy titanium online and don’t have a contract for a set price, it is likely that the company will have a system that allows you to work out the price you will pay for the weight you want. You will be required to fill in your personal/company details and a description of the product/products you want and then submit the form. You will get a price in around 15 minutes, providing it is a general item and is held in stock.

By Stanford Materials

Stanford Materials Corporation is a worldwide supplier of various oxides, metals, alloys, advanced ceramic materials, and minerals. It was established in 1994 to supply high quality rare earth products to our customers in the research and development fields. To meet increasing demands for rare earth products and other materials, Stanford Materials now carries a variety of materials to serve not only our customers in research and development but also manufacturers in the ceramic, metallurgy and electronic industries. Stanford Materials carries both technical grade materials for industries as well as high purity chemicals (up to 99.99999%) for research institutes.

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The Advantages of Tungsten Boring Bars

Tungsten is a grayish white metal with a lustrous appearance in its elemental form. This metal was discovered in 1781 by Torbern Bergman. In 1983 it was first isolated. It has the highest melting point of all known metals. Its density is only comparable to that of uranium or gold. It is 1.7 times denser than lead. Tungsten occurs naturally in minerals such as wolframite and scheelite.

Boring bars made of tungsten are usually superior in quality. Their cost is usually reduced both in terms of materials used and the finishing required. This material offers improved performance compared to other materials. When it comes to boring and grinding applications, tungsten boring bars are known to set the industry standards.

High density alloys ensure that the end products have better finishing and are operated with less vibration. These alloys also enable the bars to be used in heavier cutting operations. Alloys are used to increase the thermal conductivity of boring tools. Tungsten alloys prolong the life of the bars and ensure that the tools operate while cooler for longer durations. Using these tools enables you to braze directly at materials without the worry of interfering with the physical properties of your tools. When looking for minimum vibration and maximum durability, tungsten boring bars are the tools to get.

Polished or sintered alloys of 90-95% tungsten combined with copper-nickel-iron-molybdenum matrix are required in the manufacture of heavy metal boring bars. These alloy combinations have similar properties to tungsten carbines. However, their chemical composition is slightly altered to minimize embrittlement. The alloys have a high density that is twice as high as steel. Their tensile strength of about 110 kpsi makes it ideal for the manufacture of chatter free tools. Heavy metal boring requires tools that significantly reduce chatter and absorb vibration. Tungsten therefore is recommended for deeper machine bores that require high precision and finish.

Because tungsten alloys are heavier than steel, they allow boring bars of the same weight to be half their size. The bars are utilized in rivet setting in order to upset the shank of the rivet. When the impact is reflected back to the rivet shank, the heavy alloy bars reduce the resultant recoil.

Tungsten boring bars are usually available on demand in various volumes including in bulk. Many manufacturers produce the materials to match customer specifications. Some common applications of the bars include new proprietary technologies, commercial and research applications. Rare earth elements can also be thrown into tungsten bars to enhance their properties according to boring specifications. These elements can take the form of solutions or organo-metallic compounds. When ultra high purity forms are required, the elements can take the form of submicron powder, metallic powder or nanomaterial.

Tungsten boring bars can be made from different grades of tungsten depending on their desired application. Some methods of acquiring different grades include physical vapor deposition (PVD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). These different grades are used in such applications as technical grade, military grade, ACS reagent, food, chemical, and agricultural grade. Other specifications include optical and pharmaceutical grade.

  By Stanford Materials

Stanford Materials Corporation is a worldwide supplier of various oxides, metals, alloys, advanced ceramic materials, and minerals. It was established in 1994 to supply high quality rare earth products to our customers in the research and development fields. To meet increasing demands for rare earth products and other materials, Stanford Materials now carries a variety of materials to serve not only our customers in research and development but also manufacturers in the ceramic, metallurgy and electronic industries. Stanford Materials carries both technical grade materials for industries as well as high purity chemicals (up to 99.99999%) for research institutes.

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Industries in Need of Molybdenum Crucible

Molybdenum (Mo) is an element which naturally occurs on the earth's surface that has one of the highest melting points among all the elements. It can be found in different ores, but the compound, MoS2 (molybdenite) is the only one used for production of molybdenum-based products. Molybdenum has a low coefficient of thermal expansion and has a density that is only 25% greater than iron. All these properties make molybdenum an ideal and very much in demand element used for many industrial purposes. One of the most marketable molybdenum products is molybdenum crucible.

  Molybdenum crucible is very resistant to acids such as hydrochloric, hydrofluoric and sulfuric. Because it has a very high melting point of 2617°C, molybdenum crucible is used for high temperature situations. It does not easily melt even when subjected to very high temperatures. Molybdenum crucible comes in standard capacities of 20 ml to 100ml. Manufacturers can also customize size and capacity according to client requirements.

  Some examples of molybdenum crucible that are used for high-temperature furnaces are welded crucible, spinned crucible, square crucible and forged W and Mo crucibles.

  Metallurgy

Molybdenum crucible is often used in the metallurgy industry. It is an indispensable material often needed in the smelting industry, manufacture of crystalloid materials and new technologies. Because it is more resistant to thermal shock, it performs better than crucibles made of ceramic.

  Solar Industry

In the solar industry, molybdenum crucible is also used for the growth of silicon single crystals. The crystals have to be repeatedly heated in temperatures often exceeding 2,000°C (3632°F). If the crucible is not made of the right material, the quality of the crystals will be affected and fissures or distortions may result.

  Production of Sapphire Crystals

There is currently a remarkable growth in the furnace industry, specifically furnaces that are used for producing sapphire crystals which are used in LED manufacturing. These furnaces require a solid hot zone design and often use molybdenum crucible which has high thermal conductivity. The crucibles made of molybdenum and tungsten alloy are excellent in strength and remain stable even at temperatures above 2,000°C.

  The molybdenum crucible that is used for sapphire production must have a smooth surface, high material density and resistance to corrosion and high temperature. When sapphire is melted, it can easily cause corrosion if the crucible material is not of high quality. The crucible must have a low surface roughness, so that the sapphire can be easily extracted. Using the right vessel for sapphire production can result to a more cost-effective and high quality product.

  Other Applications

Because of the high melting point of molybdenum, it is an excellent material for vessels that are used for high temperature applications such as processing of nuclear pellets. The high strength of molybdenum and its alloys can create a vessel that can withstand rough handling and repeated exposure to high temperature. It can also withstand many molten materials such as glass, metals and other compounds.

  These are just some of the industries that depend on molybdenum crucible in the manufacture of their products. As more advanced technologies are being developed, molybdenum will continue to be a chosen element for manufacturing and other industries, because of its unique properties.

  By Stanford Materials

Stanford Materials Corporation is a worldwide supplier of various oxides, metals, alloys, advanced ceramic materials, and minerals. It was established in 1994 to supply high quality rare earth products to our customers in the research and development fields. To meet increasing demands for rare earth products and other materials, Stanford Materials now carries a variety of materials to serve not only our customers in research and development but also manufacturers in the ceramic, metallurgy and electronic industries. Stanford Materials carries both technical grade materials for industries as well as high purity chemicals (up to 99.99999%) for research institutes.

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Molybdenum Products for Industrial Usages

For decades, molybdenum was confused with lead ore and graphite and was seldom used for industrial purposes. Moly (Mo as chemical symbol) was discovered by a Swedish chemist, Carl Wilhelm Scheele in 1778, but it took another century before it was used as a heating element for furnaces. Today, various molybdenum products are being employed in major industries.

  The word molybdenum comes from the Greek word, 'molybdos' which means lead-like. It is a lustrous grey-colored metal which has a very high melting temperature of 4730゜F, so much higher than iron which has a melting temperature of 2795゜F.

 1. Physical properties of molybdenum products

Molybdenum naturally occurs on the earth's surface, but not in huge quantities. It can be found in different ores, but ores containing the mineral molybdenite (MoS2) are the ones to make molybdenum products. Mo is extracted from ores through a series of crushing, grinding and flotation operations. Manufacturing molybdenum products starts with the recovery of molybdenum, which can be a long process.

  Moly has the lowest coefficient of thermal expansion and one of the highest melting points of all the elements. Its density is known to be 25% more than that of iron. These properties make molybdenum products highly resistant to heat and corrosion. These products keep their shapes even when they are exposed to extremely high temperatures.

 2. Major producers of molybdenum products

Molybdenum comes from two different types of mines - the primary mines and the by-product mines. Most molybdenum mines are found in Canada, China, USA, Peru, Chile and Mexico. According to the US Geological Survey, China currently has the largest reserves, followed by the US and Chile. The countries where these mines are found are also the major producers of molybdenum products.

  Recovery of molybdenum from primary mines is labor-intensive, as it takes more than 2,000 pounds of ore in order to recover about 4-6 pounds of molybdenum. Molybdenum can also be found in copper ore, although in very moderate amounts. However, the price of molybdenum in the market today is directly influenced by the supply and demand of copper, as 70% of the world supply of molybdenum is recovered from copper deposits.

 3. Usages of molybdenum products

The largest molybdenum consumer today is the steel industry, which consumes more than 80% of the total molybdenum supply in the world. Moly improves the heat-resistance of all kinds of steels. A majority of molybdenum products are used for metallurgical purposes such as:

  1. 1-4% molybdenum is added to stainless steel to improve its corrosion resistance.

2. About 30% molybdenum is added to super alloys that are used in turbine wheels and jet engines.

3. 1% molybdenum is added to constructional alloy steels that are used for trucks, mining equipment and machine tools.

4. High strength low alloy steels (HSLA) with minimum 1% molybdenum are used in gas pipelines and oil transmission.

5. High temperature steels with 1% molybdenum are used in power generation equipment and heat exchangers and other operations that require extremely high temperature.

  These are just some of the metallurgical uses of molybdenum products. Molybdenum also has chemically adopted as catalysts, glass melting electrodes, lubricants, pigments and for inhibiting corrosion of aluminum, copper, cast iron, brass and steel.

  By Stanford Materials

  Stanford Materials Corporation is a worldwide supplier of various oxides, metals, alloys, advanced ceramic materials, and minerals. It was established in 1994 to supply high quality rare earth products to our customers in the research and development fields. To meet increasing demands for rare earth products and other materials, Stanford Materials now carries a variety of materials to serve not only our customers in research and development but also manufacturers in the ceramic, metallurgy and electronic industries. Stanford Materials carries both technical grade materials for industries as well as high purity chemicals (up to 99.99999%) for research institutes.

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What You Should Know About Molybdenum Alloys

The word molybdenum comes from the Latin word "Molybdaenum", which means lead. The mineral was found to be in existence since pre-historic times, but was only isolated as a particular element by Peter Jacob Hjelm in 1781. Prior to being identified as a distinct element, it was often confused with graphite and lead ore. Blended with other elements to produce molybdenum alloys, moly has become an element that is high in demand for steel production and other applications.

  Basic information of molybdenum

Molybdenum is a silvery, shiny metal that belongs to the Group 6A, second transition series of the Periodic Table. It has the 6th highest melting point and is the 54th most abundant element in the world. The highest molybdenum reserves of molybdenum ore can be found in the U.S, Canada, China, Peru and Chile.

  Because of its properties, it serves as a good thermal conductor and as an important alloying element in the production of structural and stainless steel. It has a high ability to resist corrosion and to hold shape even when subjected to high temperatures.

  The most common among the molybdenum alloys is the titanium-zirconium-molybdenum alloy (TZM), which is a blend of 0.5% titanium and 0.08% of zirconium, and about 90% molybdenum. This alloy exhibits strength even at very high temperatures, making it the perfect alloy for casting zinc.

  Usages of molybdenum alloys

Among the refractory metals, molybdenum is the most commonly used. Its most popular application is as a strengthening alloy in the production of steel. Molybdenum alloys are usually found in the form of coils, sheets, rods or bars. These materials are commonly used to manufacture steel, cast iron, and other engineered products used in the automotive, stainless steel production, shipbuilding, aircraft and aerospace and other specialty industries.

  Molybdenum alloys have very high strength and stay stable even at a temperature as high as 1900°C. Such uniqueness contributes to the use of molybdenum alloys in furnaces used to melt glass, in the manufacture of X-ray anodes used for diagnostics, and in other high-temperature heating elements.

  Moly is also alloyed wth other metals such as tungsten (symbol W), copper (symbol Cu) and rhenium (symbol Re). Mo-W alloys are used for stirrers, piping and pump impellers because of thier high resistance against molten zinc. Mo-Cu alloys are used for applications requiring high conductivity, such as the production of electronic circuit board. Mo-Re alloys are noted for their ductility and are used for rocket engine parts.

  The future of molybdenum alloys

Molybdenum and its alloys are used in various industries, from the traditional steel processing industry to the new emerging applications. Some of the new applications of molybdenum alloys include manufacuring cutting-edge electronic devices, LED lights and high efficiency solar cells.

  Due to the properties that continue to make the moly element attractive, such as its excellent thermal conductivity and flexibility when used in various chemical environments, molybdenum alloys will continue to be used in other industries. Although there is not a lot of molybdenum supply in the world, it will continue to be an important element to impact global economies in the future.

  By Stanford Materials

Stanford Materials Corporation is a worldwide supplier of various oxides, metals, alloys, advanced ceramic materials, and minerals. It was established in 1994 to supply high quality rare earth products to our customers in the research and development fields. To meet increasing demands for rare earth products and other materials, Stanford Materials now carries a variety of materials to serve not only our customers in research and development but also manufacturers in the ceramic, metallurgy and electronic industries. Stanford Materials carries both technical grade materials for industries as well as high purity chemicals (up to 99.99999%) for research institutes.

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Concepts on Tungsten and Tungsten Radiation Shield

Tungsten metal

Tungsten metal was isolated in the year 1783 by J.J and F. Elhuyar in Spain. This metal is lustrous and silvery white in color and does not occur naturally. It is extracted from its ores, the two of the major ones being wolframite and scheelite. Tungsten metal is relatively inert and resists corrosion. This metal has the highest melting point of all metals and when it is in its pure form, it can be really easy to work with. But when there is presence of impurities, it becomes quite brittle and hence hard to use or work with. The high melting point of tungsten metal makes it useful for many applications under extreme conditions, as are discussed next.

  Uses and applications of tungsten

The fact that tungsten has a very high, infact the highest melting points makes it suitable for use as an electric filament in electric light bulbs, electrodes, etc.

A number of tungsten-based alloys are further used in diverse applications, for instance, radiation shields since they provide 50% increase in density compared to lead.

Tungsten and its alloys can be found military applications such as shells, armor, etc. These alloys also find usages in aerospace industry as well, i.e. aeronautics and astronautics.

Tungsten carbide powder along with cobalt and nickel powder are often compressed and then sintered for the production of cemented carbides. These cemented carbides are then used in place of high speed steel to form the tip of cutting and drilling tools.

  Occurrence and extraction of tungsten

Tungsten metal is found to be occurring in such minerals as wolframite, ferberite, scheelite and hubrenite ores. China is the largest producer of tungsten metal, followed by Russia, Bolivia and Canada. In order to extract tungsten from its ores, the ores are first crushed, then cleaned and treated with alkalis and this process results in tungsten trioxide. Finally, tungsten trioxide is heated with carbon or hydrogen gas in order to obtain the tungsten metal and carbon dioxide or water vapor and tungsten metal.

  Properties of tungsten

Biological function: tungsten metal has no biological role and also has low toxicity.

Physicochemical properties:

In pure form, it is very hard and malleable and hence easy to work with. If impure, it is brittle and difficult to fabricate.

Tungsten has the highest melting point and lowest vapor pressure. It has really high tensile strength as well.

Tungsten owns the lowest coefficient of thermal expansion among all pure metals.

It is of high resistance to corrosion and has 5 stable isotopes.

  Sample material: radiation shield

Wolfmet tungsten alloy finds use as a shield against x rays as well as gamma rays. It is also used as a radiation shield because of the high density of Wolfmet tungsten by engineers and has been used like this for years. It is also often used as a collimator to focus radiation beams onto a target. This alloy of tungsten has 60% more density than lead and hence provides superior attenuation characteristics for x-ray and gamma radiations.

  By Stanford Materials

Stanford Materials Corporation is a worldwide supplier of various oxides, metals, alloys, advanced ceramic materials, and minerals. It was established in 1994 to supply high quality rare earth products to our customers in the research and development fields. To meet increasing demands for rare earth products and other materials, Stanford Materials now carries a variety of materials to serve not only our customers in research and development but also manufacturers in the ceramic, metallurgy and electronic industries. Stanford Materials carries both technical grade materials for industries as well as high purity chemicals (up to 99.99999%) for research institutes. 

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Recent Researches on Molybdenum

Molybdenum, a transition element, is characterized with extremely great resistivity at high temperature, thermal conductivity, exceptional strength and ductility. Molybdenum products have a wide scope of applications like electronics, chemical industries, nuclear fuel research as well as a number of medical applications.

  It has been studied and proven by scientists that molybdenum is present in very small amounts and chelated state in the human body. The most probable action of the metal happens in the complex chemical signaling reactions of the nervous system, waste processing in the kidney, and most importantly in producing emery within human cells. These findings have triggered the curiosity to look more into the contributions and functions on the metal among scientists and scholars around the world.

  The most common source of the metal is food; however, researchers have started using the metal and different forms and compositions of it in their research, to include it as a dietary supplement.

  Molybdenum research, most prevalent in the United States, has lead to a number of companies producing molybdenum as a dietary supplement. Unlike the other medical companies that make drugs, these supplements do not require a certification by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), whether or not it is safe for consumption. As long as these supplements are not claiming to cure, prevent or treat any diseases, the companies can sell them as supplements. Researchers are involved in various experiments to verify the beneficial as well as the adverse effects of molybdenum in vivo.

  The objective of the research is to find out if there are any chemical reactions of molybdenum with other substances in the body, drugs, food that we intake, or even other dietary supplements. In an instance there are reactions, then if those are good or bad for the body, how to overcome any adverse effects that might because due to its intake, the deficiency symptoms if any, and the cure of the same, etc.

  Molybdenum research, however, is not only limited to the medical fields. Due to the wide applications of molybdenum products, the chemical and the electronic industries have also invested in the molybdenum research projects. One of the most remarkable usages of molybdenum products are in the demanding applications of nuclear fuels. Researchers around the world are trying to extract more advanced and cost effective ways to use this transition metal in the areas of nuclear research.

  Owing to its characteristics of high resistance, there is a lot of research going on in the electronic industries as well, as Molybdenum is used widely in the LCD panels, and for other display components.

  Molybdenum research also aims at producing more cost-effective electron tubes, components for high temperature furnaces which in turn find usage in much iron and steeling industries.

  Research and development departments of many companies of the above mentioned industries, as well as that of the medical fields have invested considerable amount of time, resources and money to develop newer and more advanced ways of using molybdenum to improve human life and society.

  By  Stanford Materials

Stanford Materials Corporation is a worldwide supplier of various oxides, metals, alloys, advanced ceramic materials, and minerals. It was established in 1994 to supply high quality rare earth products to our customers in the research and development fields. To meet increasing demands for rare earth products and other materials, Stanford Materials now carries a variety of materials to serve not only our customers in research and development but also manufacturers in the ceramic, metallurgy and electronic industries. Stanford Materials carries both technical grade materials for industries as well as high purity chemicals (up to 99.99999%) for research institutes. Our annual revenue has exponentially increased since its establishment and reached five millions US dollar last year.

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Metal Molybdenum: The Future Is Bright

The production of metal molybdenum is performed with the help of powder metallurgy technique. This process hydrostatically compacts the molybdenum powder and sinters it at a high temperature of about 2100゜C. Molybdenum has a tendency of oxidizing at temperature higher than 600゜C. That is why environment has to be either vacuum or non-oxidizing for high-temperature applications.

  Discovered by Scheele in year 1778, metal molybdenum is a hard transitional metal which is white and silvery in look. On comparing with tungsten, we will find it more ductile and softer. When we talk of its chemical properties, it has an atomic number of 42 and atomic mass of 95.94. At 20゜C its density is 10.2 and electro-negativity is 1.8. It has very high melting point which is 2810゜C. The boiling point of this metal is 4825゜C. Its ionic radius is 0.068 nm and Van der Waals radius is 0.139 nm.

  Let us switch to some biochemical features of molybdenum. It is an essential element for human body albeit present in trace. The most significant role of molybdenum is in the form of heteroatom in several enzymes, so-called cofactor. Molybdenum is also present in nitrogenase enzyme which performs the task of nitrogen fixation in certain bacteria.

  Metal molybdenum is naturally available as a trace mineral in vivo. Studies have shown that the quantity of molybdenum present in the living body is about 0.07 milligram/kg of weight. However, liver and kidney are two organs where it is available in more quantity. On the contrary, concentration is low in vertebrae. It presence in tooth enamel helps to prevent the teeth from decay.

  It is not only the pure molybdenum that has wide applications but also its alloys are used for various purposes all over the world. It is feasible to machine pure and alloyed molybdenum materials with any type of machining technique. It is possible to achieve first-rate surface finishes along with exacting tolerances. Due to these features, manufacturers prefer this metal in the production of pars with different types and sizes.

  However, you have to keep some points in mind while trying to machine molybdenum or its alloys. Although its strength at high temperature is well known, yet you have to be careful at ambient temperatures. In addition, sharpness of machine tools is also important otherwise the machine may tear the material. It is also possible to join both metal and its alloys by welding process. Although the strength of weld and its surrounding area is significantly reduced, the welded structure is still successful in many applications. Fragility of welded arrangement is less if heat input is lower.

  The positive aspect is that metallic molybdenum is not only a metal of choice for the existing applications today, but it will remain a favorite metal for emerging markets also. Qualities such as exceptional thermal conductivity, high stiffness, resistance at high temperature, low coefficient of thermal expansion and ability to be compatible with different environmental conditions are going to be equally significant for upcoming applications.

  About Stanford Materials Corporation

Stanford Materials Corporation is a worldwide supplier of various oxides, metals, alloys, advanced ceramic materials, and minerals. It was established in 1994 to supply high quality rare earth products to our customers in the research and development fields. To meet increasing demands for rare earth products and other materials, Stanford Materials now carries a variety of materials to serve not only our customers in research and development but also manufacturers in the ceramic, metallurgy and electronic industries. Stanford Materials carries both technical grade materials for industries as well as high purity chemicals (up to 99.99999%) for research institutes. Our annual revenue has exponentially increased since its establishment and reached five millions US dollar last year.