Both Molybdenum and Uranium Vital for Nuclear Reactors

Molybdenum plays a more vital role in the globalareas to service the most populated areas. The
nuclear renaissance than you might suspect. Withoutgreatest numbers of new constructions are
the silvery white metal, the world's energyexpected from China, India, Japan, Russia, South
infrastructure would somewhat suffer. But, nuclearKorea and Japan (and possibly the United States).
power plants would be set back at least twoExisting reactors along coastal areas in Asian
decades. The new high performance stainless steelscountries presently breaks down as follows: Japan
(HPSS) contain as much as 7.5 percent molybdenum(57), South Korea (26), China and Taiwan (19) and
and can add more than three times the life to theIndia (11). Because these are the most prone to
world's aging nuclear fleet condenser tubes.seawater or brackish corrosion, they are also the
During the early construction of nuclear power plants,likely candidates for upgrading existing condenser
steam condensers relied upon copper base alloys -tubing to high alloy stainless steel. And their new
brass and copper nickel - for heat transfer capabilities.reactors are likely going to be constructed along their
These alloys have high coefficients of thermalcoasts, requiring the super austenitic grades. As an
conductivity required in steam generation to poweraside, of the previously mentioned 190 nuclear power
nuclear reactor turbines. But copper-alloyed tubesplants which had replaced their condensers with
were being replaced too quickly - with an average lifeHPSS, 45 percent used fresh water as coolant.
of eight years - because of sulphide pitting. HardestThose plants chose the high alloy steel as a 'fail-safe'
hit were those reactors using polluted seawater tomeasure to prevent interrupted service or a potential
cool their reactors.reactor incident.
Over the past 30 years ago, nuclear utilities slowlyThe United Nations estimates that two-thirds of the
began turning to the super austenitic stainless steelsplanet's population will be living with water stress by
as one way to make their nuclear reactors last2025. Global freshwater scarcity may demand the
longer. The addition of molybdenum, initially startinguse of brackish or seawater as nuclear reactor
with percentage of less than four percent, helpedcoolant. To prevent the accompanying corrosion, the
increase the thermal conductivity lacking in nickel, ironhigher-percentage molybdenum alloy, specifically the
or steel. At nuclear stations which replaced the654 SMOÂ(R), could emerge as the
copper alloys with HPSS condenser tubes, 57 percentcondenser tubing material of choice. Either the 254
rated the thermal performance good and all but oneSMOÂ(R) or the 654 would be utilized in
rated it normal. Molybdenum had helped overcomedesalination plants required to overcome water
the thermal hurdle.shortages in the hardest hit areas: North Africa, the
A large number of the 190 nuclear reactors, whichMiddle East and West Asia.
now utilize HPSS condenser tubes, reported anTypically, nuclear power plant condenser tubing
average life in excess of 18 years. The longestrequires approximately 520,000 feet of stainless steel.
stainless steel condenser installation has remained inAccording to the International Molybdenum
service more than 26 years, according to a studyAssociation (IMOA), larger reactors could utilize up to
done several years ago. According to a reportone million feet of stainless steel. With the higher
published in 2000, more than 100 million feet ofmolybdenum grades found in the super alloys, new
super-alloy stainless steel tubes have replaced thenuclear reactors could require tens of thousands of
older, copper-alloy tubing.metric tons of molybdenum.
Condensers are large heat exchangers used in nuclearBy comparison, nuclear waste containers proposed
power plants. Condensers have thousands of tubesfor the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository
horizontally mounted to condense and recover thewere forecast to consume about 15,000 metric tons
steam passing through turbines. Each low-pressureof moly. While this project may or may not proceed
turbine generally has a condenser, which alsoas planned to the construction phase, the Nuclear
maintains a vacuum to optimize the turbine'sEnergy Institute (NEI) has proposed regionalized
efficiency.storage of spent fuel.
Water fouling deposits were cited as a majorShould comparably designed storage canisters be
problem at many reactors, especially with condenserutilized to 'temporarily' contain the nuclear waste, it is
tubes where seawater or high-chloride brackish waterlikely molybdenum will play a key role. According to
was the coolant. Pitting corrosion, tube sheet crevicethe U.S. Government's Energy Citation Database, as
corrosion and galvanic corrosion put the tubes at riskpublished by the Department of Energy's Office of
for leakage. Plugging, mud, or detritus accumulating inScientific and Technical Information, "Alloys with
condenser tubes reduce a power plant's efficiency.combined chromium plus molybdenum contents
Utilities use cleaning systems with small, abrasivegreater than 30 percent were the most resistant to
sponge-like balls to keep the tubes clean and test forgeneral and local attack." This was the conclusion
tube defectives with probing devices. Tube thinningreached after corrosion scouring tests were
and corrosion create the opportunity for tubeperformed on stainless steel and nickel-based alloys
leakage. This can not be tolerated because chemicalsto immobilize high-level, radioactive waste. Another
such as sodium and chlorides find their way into theaspect where high-percentage molybdenum stainless
reactor vessel or steam generator.steel would double up is with the expansion of
Upgrading the steam condenser tubing to stainlessnuclear desalination plants. In the past, and in our
steel also plays a vital role in the 'power uprate'publication, "Investing in the Great Uranium Bull
program utilities have used to increase generatingMarket," we have discussed the rise of nuclear
capacity for existing reactors as we recentlydesalination across those coastal areas, requiring far
discussed. The more advanced uprate program couldmore freshwater than can possibly be transported
add up to 20-percent capacity to existing U.S. nuclearthrough other means. The World Nuclear Association
reactors.(WNA) has reported of numerous such desalination
Different Molybdenum Alloysprojects in progress.
There are several HPSS manufacturers for nuclearWill The Energy Bull Have Sufficient Moly?
reactor condensers. The most prominent in theFrom nearly every energy project - oil, gas, coal and
nuclear sector include Pennsylvania-based ATInuclear, and for water, molybdenum demand will
Allegheny Ludlum and Finland's Outokumpu. Eachcontinue increasing. Super austenitic grades demand a
offers austenitic steels with chromium and nickelhigher moly content to combat corrosion and provide
composition of between 20 and 25 percent for eachreliability of service. Of course, there will be
alloy and a range of 6.2 to 7.5 percent molybdenum.substitution in the face of future supply shortfalls. In
In a paper presented by Jan Olsson of Avestasome instances, there are reports the Russians have
Sheffield (before the company was acquired bysubstituted vanadium for molybdenum in some of
Outokumpu), he highlighted the results of teststheir oil and gas pipelines to conserve on moly
performed on the new super-austenitic stainlessconsumption. ATI Allegheny Ludlum has argued for
steel, 654 SMOÂ(R). Metals comprising thisthe substitution of two-percent manganese for
brand include 25-percent chromium, 22-percent nickelevery percent of nickel, but in the lower grade
and 7.5-percent molybdenum. To increase pittingaustenitic groups which do not demand the corrosion
resistance, the manufacturers added up toresistance of energy projects. While reviewing the
0.5-percent nitrogen and three-percent manganeseanticipated new projects from the molybdenum
(for make the nitrogen more soluble).mining sector, we foresee the high probability of
As with all pioneering developments - and remembersupply inadequacy. Aside from China Moly's
that R & D breakthroughs have taken place over aSandaozhuang molybdenum mine, which the company
two-decade-plus period, manufacturers havehopes could produce 28,000 tonnes of molybdenum
re-designed their metallurgical composition to find theconcentrate this year and perhaps grow by another
most encouraging percentages of nickel, chromium,17 percent the following year, there is a paucity of
molybdenum and nitrogen. The earlier stainless steelsnew molybdenum projects coming fully online before
relied on higher nickel content and lesser percentages2009.
of chromium and molybdenum.Based upon China's voracious appetite for
At first, conventional austenitic grades, such as 316L,molybdenum - one research firm estimated
or high chromium-ferritic grades, were utilized. Pittingcompounded annual growth rate over the previous
struck down widespread use of the 316L series andfive years at 17 percent, whatever excess moly
was replaced by higher alloy steels. For example,production comes from China Moly's mining efforts
others, such as the 254 SMOÂ(R) stainlesscould very well be domestically consumed.
steel, began aggressively replacing the copper alloyFuture North American molybdenum producers may
tubes and in some cases the 316L series. The 254 isneed to ramp up their projects to meet the growing
comprised of 20-percent chromium, 18-percent nickel,demand. During 2006, demand grew above the
6.2-percent molybdenum and 0.20-percent nitrogen. Ithistorical norm of four percent; most of the
has also offered a high level of corrosion resistanceconsumption came from China. This is unlikely to
at desalination plants without becomingstagnate or decrease, and could interfere with North
cost-prohibitive.American and European consumption of molybdenum.
The most significant breakthrough came after variousOnly one company is scheduled to commence
stainless steels were tested at Scandinavian coastalmolybdenum mining in 2007, Roca Mines. Because the
reactors. In the Avesta paper, the failures of eachcompany is limited to a small-mining permit,
lesser austenitic grade were checked off. Significantanticipated production could not exceed three million
deficiencies included insufficient stress corrosionpounds. By late 2008, or early 2009, Adanac
cracking resistance and resistance to naturalMolybdenum hopes to commence its start-up efforts
seawater. Even titanium tubing was used as anto reach eight-figure moly production. Later, Blue
interim measure because it increased total heatPearl Mining hopes to commence high-grade
transfer by 17 percent, but the metal failed to standmolybdenum mining at the Davidson deposit in British
up to high velocity steam and suffered 'water dropletColumbia. Around this time, the Climax molybdenum
erosion.'mine could re-open and begin production in Colorado.
According to the study, "The only alloy fully resistantMoly Mines hopes to begin production at the
to all test conditions was 654 SMOÂ(R)." Thecompany's Spinifex project. Possibly, before the
results at nuclear power plants in Finland and Sweden,decade ends, Idaho General might commence
along the Baltic Sea, were astonishing! Four importantoperations in Nevada. Perhaps before those 48
conclusions about this super alloy were reached afternuclear reactors come online, US Energy's Mt.
the testing.Emmons deposit may be mined in Colorado.
· Its corrosion resistance could copeMany of these projects are subject to environmental
with the hostile environments existing insidepermitting and/or financing, putting any material
condenser tubes of desalination plants and poweramount of forecasted supply in jeopardy. And this
plants.comes at a time when some experts believe
· Its corrosion resistance was goodbyproduct molybdenum production at copper mines
enough to cop with many other hostile brine andcould be constrained. There are many conditional
seawater environments.requirements which do not necessarily guarantee a
· Its erosion resistance wasreliable supply from the new breed of primary moly
advantageous where it was exposed to high velocityproducers. We have witnessed comparable obstacles
streams.in the uranium sector, which has since been
· There was no concern about its heataccompanied by a hyperbolic price rally in this metal.
transfer characteristics.There could come a point in the molybdenum sector
Nuclear Consumption of Molybdenumwhere the silvery white metal could mimic such a
About 48 nuclear reactors are reportedly scheduledbreakout scenario. Nearly three years ago, featured a
for construction by 2013. It may be possible that upforecast of US$100/pound uranium. No one believed
to 100 could be constructed by 2020, dependingthat prediction at the time. On Friday, TradeTech
upon political and financial climates. The largestannounced a spot price of US$113/pound.
number proceeding through the proposed, planned orCOPYRIGHT© 2007 by
construction phases will be located along coastalStockInterview, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.