China: Emerging sectors fuel molybdenum demand in China.

Storyline Emerging sectors fuel molybdenum demand in China As the global leader in the molybdenum reserves, China is unlocking new applications for the heat-resistant metal. Known as an industrial "vitamin", the molybdenum has long been a workhorse in the steelmaking industry because of its strength, hardenability, toughness and high temperature performance. In Luoyang City of central China's Henan Province, this molybdenum processing plant is running at full capacity. The factory's manager said their molybdenum is used to make tube targets, which are a key element in the manufacturing of display screens. Zhang Lingjie, Chairman, Luoyang Kewei Molybdenum and Tungsten Co.,Ltd.: "Over the past two months, our orders have been climbing steadily. We used to produce about 50 tons of molybdenum tube targets per month. Now we're up to over 70 tons." Besides display screens, solar panel companies are also using molybdenum tube targets because of their high melting point, low electrical resistance and strong corrosion resistance. Just last month, the company received a new order from a firm that makes perovskite photovoltaic panels. Zhang Lingjie, Chairman, Luoyang Kewei Molybdenum and Tungsten Co.,Ltd.: "We're really excited about this trial order. Perovskite is an emerging segment in the solar industry and they start to use molybdenum tube targets." And within the semiconductor memory chip industry, experts say a major shift is underway as companies replace tungsten with molybdenum for next-gen ultra-high-layer chips. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]