| Molybdenum plays a more vital role in the
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| | greatest numbers of new constructions are
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| global nuclear renaissance than you might
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| | expected from China, India, Japan,
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| suspect. Without the silvery white
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| | Russia, South Korea and Japan (and
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| metal, the world's energy infrastructure
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| | possibly the United States).
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| would somewhat suffer. But, nuclear power
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| | Existing reactors along coastal areas in
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| plants would be set back at least two
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| | Asian countries presently breaks down as
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| decades. The new high performance
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| | follows: Japan (57), South Korea (26),
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| stainless steels (HPSS) contain as much
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| | China and Taiwan (19) and India (11).
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| as 7.5 percent molybdenum and can add
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| | Because these are the most prone to
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| more than three times the life to the
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| | seawater or brackish corrosion, they are
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| world's aging nuclear fleet condenser
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| | also the likely candidates for upgrading
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| tubes.
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| | existing condenser tubing to high alloy
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| During the early construction of nuclear
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| | stainless steel. And their new reactors
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| power plants, steam condensers relied
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| | are likely going to be constructed along
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| upon copper base alloys - brass and
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| | their coasts, requiring the super
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| copper nickel - for heat transfer
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| | austenitic grades. As an aside, of the
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| capabilities. These alloys have high
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| | previously mentioned 190 nuclear power
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| coefficients of thermal conductivity
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| | plants which had replaced their
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| required in steam generation to power
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| | condensers with HPSS, 45 percent used
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| nuclear reactor turbines. But
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| | fresh water as coolant. Those plants
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| copper-alloyed tubes were being replaced
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| | chose the high alloy steel as a
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| too quickly - with an average life of
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| | 'fail-safe' measure to prevent
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| eight years - because of sulphide
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| | interrupted service or a potential
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| pitting. Hardest hit were those reactors
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| | reactor incident.
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| using polluted seawater to cool their
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| | The United Nations estimates that
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| reactors.
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| | two-thirds of the planet's population
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| Over the past 30 years ago, nuclear
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| | will be living with water stress by 2025.
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| utilities slowly began turning to the
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| | Global freshwater scarcity may demand the
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| super austenitic stainless steels as one
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| | use of brackish or seawater as nuclear
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| way to make their nuclear reactors last
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| | reactor coolant. To prevent the
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| longer. The addition of molybdenum,
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| | accompanying corrosion, the
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| initially starting with percentage of
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| | higher-percentage molybdenum alloy,
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| less than four percent, helped increase
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| | specifically the 654 SMOÂ(R), could
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| the thermal conductivity lacking in
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| | emerge as the condenser tubing material
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| nickel, iron or steel. At nuclear
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| | of choice. Either the 254 SMOÂ(R) or the
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| stations which replaced the copper alloys
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| | 654 would be utilized in desalination
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| with HPSS condenser tubes, 57 percent
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| | plants required to overcome water
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| rated the thermal performance good and
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| | shortages in the hardest hit areas: North
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| all but one rated it normal. Molybdenum
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| | Africa, the Middle East and West Asia.
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| had helped overcome the thermal hurdle.
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| | Typically, nuclear power plant condenser
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| A large number of the 190 nuclear
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| | tubing requires approximately 520,000
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| reactors, which now utilize HPSS
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| | feet of stainless steel. According to the
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| condenser tubes, reported an average life
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| | International Molybdenum Association
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| in excess of 18 years. The longest
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| | (IMOA), larger reactors could utilize up
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| stainless steel condenser installation
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| | to one million feet of stainless steel.
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| has remained in service more than 26
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| | With the higher molybdenum grades found
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| years, according to a study done several
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| | in the super alloys, new nuclear reactors
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| years ago. According to a report
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| | could require tens of thousands of metric
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| published in 2000, more than 100 million
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| | tons of molybdenum.
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| feet of super-alloy stainless steel tubes
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| | By comparison, nuclear waste containers
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| have replaced the older, copper-alloy
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| | proposed for the Yucca Mountain nuclear
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| tubing.
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| | waste repository were forecast to consume
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| Condensers are large heat exchangers used
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| | about 15,000 metric tons of moly. While
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| in nuclear power plants. Condensers have
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| | this project may or may not proceed as
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| thousands of tubes horizontally mounted
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| | planned to the construction phase, the
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| to condense and recover the steam passing
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| | Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) has
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| through turbines. Each low-pressure
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| | proposed regionalized storage of spent
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| turbine generally has a condenser, which
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| | fuel.
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| also maintains a vacuum to optimize the
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| | Should comparably designed storage
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| turbine's efficiency.
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| | canisters be utilized to 'temporarily'
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| Water fouling deposits were cited as a
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| | contain the nuclear waste, it is likely
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| major problem at many reactors,
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| | molybdenum will play a key role.
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| especially with condenser tubes where
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| | According to the U.S. Government's Energy
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| seawater or high-chloride brackish water
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| | Citation Database, as published by the
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| was the coolant. Pitting corrosion, tube
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| | Department of Energy's Office of
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| sheet crevice corrosion and galvanic
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| | Scientific and Technical Information,
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| corrosion put the tubes at risk for
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| | "Alloys with combined chromium plus
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| leakage. Plugging, mud, or detritus
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| | molybdenum contents greater than 30
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| accumulating in condenser tubes reduce a
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| | percent were the most resistant to
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| power plant's efficiency.
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| | general and local attack." This was the
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| Utilities use cleaning systems with
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| | conclusion reached after corrosion
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| small, abrasive sponge-like balls to keep
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| | scouring tests were performed on
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| the tubes clean and test for tube
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| | stainless steel and nickel-based alloys
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| defectives with probing devices. Tube
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| | to immobilize high-level, radioactive
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| thinning and corrosion create the
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| | waste. Another aspect where
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| opportunity for tube leakage. This can
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| | high-percentage molybdenum stainless
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| not be tolerated because chemicals such
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| | steel would double up is with the
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| as sodium and chlorides find their way
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| | expansion of nuclear desalination plants.
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| into the reactor vessel or steam
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| | In the past, and in our publication,
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| generator.
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| | "Investing in the Great Uranium Bull
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| Upgrading the steam condenser tubing to
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| | Market," we have discussed the rise of
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| stainless steel also plays a vital role
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| | nuclear desalination across those coastal
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| in the 'power uprate' program utilities
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| | areas, requiring far more freshwater than
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| have used to increase generating capacity
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| | can possibly be transported through other
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| for existing reactors as we recently
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| | means. The World Nuclear Association
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| discussed. The more advanced uprate
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| | (WNA) has reported of numerous such
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| program could add up to 20-percent
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| | desalination projects in progress.
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| capacity to existing U.S. nuclear
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| | Will The Energy Bull Have Sufficient
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| reactors.
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| | Moly?
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| Different Molybdenum Alloys
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| | From nearly every energy project - oil,
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| There are several HPSS manufacturers for
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| | gas, coal and nuclear, and for water,
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| nuclear reactor condensers. The most
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| | molybdenum demand will continue
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| prominent in the nuclear sector include
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| | increasing. Super austenitic grades
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| Pennsylvania-based ATI Allegheny Ludlum
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| | demand a higher moly content to combat
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| and Finland's Outokumpu. Each offers
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| | corrosion and provide reliability of
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| austenitic steels with chromium and
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| | service. Of course, there will be
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| nickel composition of between 20 and 25
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| | substitution in the face of future supply
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| percent for each alloy and a range of 6.2
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| | shortfalls. In some instances, there are
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| to 7.5 percent molybdenum.
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| | reports the Russians have substituted
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| In a paper presented by Jan Olsson of
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| | vanadium for molybdenum in some of their
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| Avesta Sheffield (before the company was
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| | oil and gas pipelines to conserve on moly
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| acquired by Outokumpu), he highlighted
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| | consumption. ATI Allegheny Ludlum has
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| the results of tests performed on the new
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| | argued for the substitution of
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| super-austenitic stainless steel, 654
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| | two-percent manganese for every percent
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| SMOÂ(R). Metals comprising this brand
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| | of nickel, but in the lower grade
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| include 25-percent chromium, 22-percent
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| | austenitic groups which do not demand the
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| nickel and 7.5-percent molybdenum. To
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| | corrosion resistance of energy projects.
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| increase pitting resistance, the
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| | While reviewing the anticipated new
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| manufacturers added up to 0.5-percent
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| | projects from the molybdenum mining
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| nitrogen and three-percent manganese (for
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| | sector, we foresee the high probability
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| make the nitrogen more soluble).
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| | of supply inadequacy. Aside from China
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| As with all pioneering developments - and
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| | Moly's Sandaozhuang molybdenum mine,
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| remember that R & D breakthroughs have
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| | which the company hopes could produce
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| taken place over a two-decade-plus
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| | 28,000 tonnes of molybdenum concentrate
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| period, manufacturers have re-designed
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| | this year and perhaps grow by another 17
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| their metallurgical composition to find
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| | percent the following year, there is a
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| the most encouraging percentages of
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| | paucity of new molybdenum projects coming
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| nickel, chromium, molybdenum and
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| | fully online before 2009.
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| nitrogen. The earlier stainless steels
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| | Based upon China's voracious appetite for
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| relied on higher nickel content and
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| | molybdenum - one research firm estimated
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| lesser percentages of chromium and
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| | compounded annual growth rate over the
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| molybdenum.
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| | previous five years at 17 percent,
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| At first, conventional austenitic grades,
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| | whatever excess moly production comes
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| such as 316L, or high chromium-ferritic
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| | from China Moly's mining efforts could
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| grades, were utilized. Pitting struck
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| | very well be domestically consumed.
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| down widespread use of the 316L series
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| | Future North American molybdenum
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| and was replaced by higher alloy steels.
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| | producers may need to ramp up their
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| For example, others, such as the 254
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| | projects to meet the growing demand.
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| SMOÂ(R) stainless steel, began
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| | During 2006, demand grew above the
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| aggressively replacing the copper alloy
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| | historical norm of four percent; most of
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| tubes and in some cases the 316L series.
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| | the consumption came from China. This is
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| The 254 is comprised of 20-percent
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| | unlikely to stagnate or decrease, and
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| chromium, 18-percent nickel, 6.2-percent
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| | could interfere with North American and
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| molybdenum and 0.20-percent nitrogen. It
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| | European consumption of molybdenum.
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| has also offered a high level of
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| | Only one company is scheduled to commence
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| corrosion resistance at desalination
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| | molybdenum mining in 2007, Roca Mines.
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| plants without becoming cost-prohibitive.
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| | Because the company is limited to a
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| The most significant breakthrough came
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| | small-mining permit, anticipated
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| after various stainless steels were
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| | production could not exceed three million
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| tested at Scandinavian coastal reactors.
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| | pounds. By late 2008, or early 2009,
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| In the Avesta paper, the failures of each
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| | Adanac Molybdenum hopes to commence its
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| lesser austenitic grade were checked off.
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| | start-up efforts to reach eight-figure
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| Significant deficiencies included
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| | moly production. Later, Blue Pearl Mining
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| insufficient stress corrosion cracking
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| | hopes to commence high-grade molybdenum
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| resistance and resistance to natural
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| | mining at the Davidson deposit in British
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| seawater. Even titanium tubing was used
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| | Columbia. Around this time, the Climax
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| as an interim measure because it
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| | molybdenum mine could re-open and begin
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| increased total heat transfer by 17
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| | production in Colorado. Moly Mines hopes
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| percent, but the metal failed to stand up
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| | to begin production at the company's
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| to high velocity steam and suffered
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| | Spinifex project. Possibly, before the
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| 'water droplet erosion.'
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| | decade ends, Idaho General might commence
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| According to the study, "The only alloy
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| | operations in Nevada. Perhaps before
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| fully resistant to all test conditions
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| | those 48 nuclear reactors come online, US
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| was 654 SMOÂ(R)." The results at nuclear
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| | Energy's Mt. Emmons deposit may be mined
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| power plants in Finland and Sweden, along
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| | in Colorado.
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| the Baltic Sea, were astonishing! Four
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| | Many of these projects are subject to
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| important conclusions about this super
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| | environmental permitting and/or
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| alloy were reached after the testing.
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| | financing, putting any material amount of
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| · Its corrosion resistance could cope
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| | forecasted supply in jeopardy. And this
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| with the hostile environments existing
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| | comes at a time when some experts believe
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| inside condenser tubes of desalination
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| | byproduct molybdenum production at copper
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| plants and power plants.
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| | mines could be constrained. There are
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| · Its corrosion resistance was good
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| | many conditional requirements which do
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| enough to cop with many other hostile
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| | not necessarily guarantee a reliable
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| brine and seawater environments.
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| | supply from the new breed of primary moly
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| · Its erosion resistance was
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| | producers. We have witnessed comparable
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| advantageous where it was exposed to high
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| | obstacles in the uranium sector, which
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| velocity streams.
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| | has since been accompanied by a
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| · There was no concern about its heat
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| | hyperbolic price rally in this metal.
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| transfer characteristics.
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| | There could come a point in the
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| Nuclear Consumption of Molybdenum
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| | molybdenum sector where the silvery white
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| About 48 nuclear reactors are reportedly
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| | metal could mimic such a breakout
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| scheduled for construction by 2013. It
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| | scenario. Nearly three years ago,
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| may be possible that up to 100 could be
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| | featured a forecast of US$100/pound
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| constructed by 2020, depending upon
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| | uranium. No one believed that prediction
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| political and financial climates. The
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| | at the time. On Friday, TradeTech
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| largest number proceeding through the
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| | announced a spot price of US$113/pound.
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| proposed, planned or construction phases
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| | COPYRIGHT© 2007 by StockInterview,
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| will be located along coastal areas to
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| | Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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| service the most populated areas. The
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