Mineral Species containing Molybdenum (Mo)

Element Properties, Isotopic Compositions for Molybdenum

Atomic Mass	95.94
Atomic Number	42
Name Origins	Greek, molybdos = "lead"
Year Discovered	1781
Discovery Credits	Isolated by P. J. Hjelm at Uppsala, Sweden
Remarks	Metal is lustrous, silvery, and fairly soft when pure. Usually obtained as gray powder. Used in alloys, electrodes, catalysts, and as the sulfide, lubricants. Diagnostic tests: On charcoal molybdenum sulfide gives near the assay a copper-red stain in oxidizing flame and white oxide further away. On plaster, mixed with KI, gives a deep ultramarine blue color after heating with the flame. Bead tests using sodium phosphate (Na₃PO₄) gives a yellowish green color (hot) and nearly colorless (cold), the reducing flame color is a fine green. Molybdates (MoO₄^2-) are tested by adding powdered sample to a dry test tube with a scrap of paper, adding a few drops of water and an equal amount of concentrated H₂SO₄. The mixture is carefully heated until the acid fumes. Cool or slowly add water and the solution will assume a deep blue color. If the molybdenum is in the form of the oxide or the sulfide then a yellowish green flame test may be diagnostic.
References	Emsley, J., 1991; THE ELEMENTS : Sec. Ed., Clarendon Press, Oxford, 251 p.
See Also	WebElements, ChemiCool

**Naturally Occurring Isotopes**
Symbol	Isotope Mass	Isotope Nuclide Number	Isotope Number	Natural Abundance	Half-life Units
Mo	91.906808	92	42	14.8400%	Stable
Mo	93.905085	94	42	9.2500%	Stable
Mo	94.905085	95	42	15.9200%	Stable
Mo	95.904678	96	42	16.6800%	Stable
Mo	96.90602	97	42	9.5500%	Stable
Mo	97.905406	98	42	24.1300%	Stable

Molybdenum (Mo) Minerals sorted by Descending Weight Percent

Click here for List sorted by Mineral Name

**46 Minerals containing Molybdenum (Mo) sorted by Descending Weight Percent**
% Mo	Mineral Name	Chemical Formula	MW
74.99 % Mo	Tugarinovite	MoO2	127.94
66.65 % Mo	Molybdite	MoO3	143.94
66.34 % Mo	Ilsemannite #	Mo3O8·n(H2O) (?)	433.83
59.94 % Mo	Jordisite #	MoS2	160.07
59.94 % Mo	Molybdenite #	MoS2	160.07
54.56 % Mo	Kamiokite	Fe2Mo3O8	527.51
53.31 % Mo	Sidwillite	MoO3·2(H2O)	179.97
51.69 % Mo	Monipite !	MoNiP	185.60
51.64 % Mo	Hexamolybdenum !	(Mo,Ru,Fe,Ir,Os)	104.04
47.97 % Mo	Powellite #	CaMoO4	200.02
46.49 % Mo	Bamfordite !	Fe+++Mo2O6(OH)3·(H2O)	412.76
44.43 % Mo	Mourite	U++++Mo++++++5O12(OH)10	1,079.80
41.64 % Mo	Drysdallite	Mo(Se,S)2	230.41
41.54 % Mo	Mendozavilite	(Na,Mg)Ca2[Mo++++++8P+++++2Fe+++3O36(OH)]·n(H2O), n~9	1,847.68
40.88 % Mo	Melkovite	CaFe+++H6(MoO4)4(PO4)·6(H2O)	938.74
40.11 % Mo	Ferrimolybdite #	Fe+++2(MoO4)3·8(H2O)	717.61
38.16 % Mo	Obradovicite	H4(K,Na)Cu++Fe+++2(AsO4)(MoO4)5·12(H2O)	1,257.18
35.24 % Mo	Lindgrenite #	Cu3(MoO4)2(OH)2	544.53
35.07 % Mo	Natrobetpakdalite	(Na,Ca)3Fe+++2(As2Mo6O28)·15(H2O)	1,641.45
34.94 % Mo	Betpakdalite	[Mg(H2O)6]Ca2(H2O)13[Mo++++++8As+++++2Fe+++3O36(OH)]·4(H2O)	2,196.70
34.39 % Mo	Sedovite	U(MoO4)2	557.90
34.04 % Mo	Vajdakite !	[(MoO2)2(H2O)2As2O5]·(H2O)	535.57
33.91 % Mo	IMA2008-040	BiMo2O7(OH)·2H2O	565.89
33.86 % Mo	IMA2009-022	BiMo2+xO7(OH)·H2O	538.28
30.56 % Mo	Iriginite #	(UO2)(Mo++++++2O7)·3(H2O)	627.95
28.08 % Mo	Paramendozavilite	NaAl4Fe+++7(PO4)5(P+++++Mo++++++12O40)(OH)16·56(H2O)	4,099.90
26.91 % Mo	Moluranite	H4U++++(UO2)3(MoO4)7·18(H2O)	2,495.98
26.13 % Mo	Wulfenite #	PbMoO4	367.14
22.92 % Mo	Szenicsite	Cu3MoO4(OH)4	418.60
22.52 % Mo	Biehlite !	(Sb,As)2MoO6	426.07
21.42 % Mo	Umohoite #	[(UO2)MoO4]·H2O	447.98
20.28 % Mo	Deloryite	Cu++4(UO2)(MoO4)2(OH)6	946.13
19.03 % Mo	Cousinite	MgU2Mo2O13·6(H2O) (?)	1,008.33
18.42 % Mo	Calcurmolite	Ca(UO2)3(MoO4)3(OH)2·11(H2O)	1,562.16
17.30 % Mo	Vergasovaite !	Cu3O[(Mo,S)O4][SO4]	443.69
15.73 % Mo	Koechlinite #	Bi2MoO6	609.90
12.09 % Mo	Tarkianite !	(Cu,Fe)(Re,Mo)4S8	952.63
11.25 % Mo	Hemusite	Cu6SnMoS8	852.45
9.71 % Mo	Molybdofornacite	Pb2Cu[(As,P)O4][(Mo,Cr)O4](OH)	790.12
9.42 % Mo	Chiluite	Bi6Te++++++2Mo++++++2O21	2,036.95
8.43 % Mo	Tengchongite	CaU++++++6Mo++++++2O25·12(H2O)	2,276.30
8.18 % Mo	Schlegelite !	Bi7O4(MoO4)2(AsO4)3	2,227.18
5.18 % Mo	Maikainite !	Cu20(Fe,Cu)6Mo2Ge6S32	3,296.63
2.83 % Mo	Parkinsonite	(Pb,Mo,[ ])8O8Cl2	1,697.27
1.91 % Mo	Mosesite #	Hg2N(Cl,SO4,MoO4,CO3)·(H2O)	501.74
1.00 % Mo	Ovamboite !	Cu20(Fe,Cu,Zn)6W2Ge6S32	3,470.24

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