Nano Particle Tech Uses for Molybdenum

Finally, the financial markets have caught on as to how hot molybdenum stocks could get. While we began researching molybdenum about a year ago, and only first publishing in July 2006, molybdenum commentator Ken Reser has practically been the lone voice in the moly wilderness for investors. (We understand there have been several tout sheets hyping molybdenum stocks for nearly as long, but we can't include those in serious discussions about this metal.)

Now that molybdenum traders have grown more bullish about the metal, we expect molybdenum pricing to continue higher. Ferro moly prices have continued firming up. Some quantity is now selling at US$76 per kg in Europe. One report indicates a recent moly oxide sale at $33/pound.

The emergence of the Sprott Molybdenum Participation Fund might only suggest the beginning of stronger institutional interest in primary molybdenum producers and on-the-horizon molybdenum producers – those whose projects could be online by 2010 or sooner.

In March 2005, Ken Reser penned a short editorial entitled, "Molybdenum: The 21st Century & Beyond Metal."

Mainstream analysts had not really bothered to investigate the numerous uses for molybdenum prior to Ken Reser's discussion. Since then, molybdenum stocks have had an incredible run. Mainstream media, such as Canada's Globe & Mail, Dow Jones MarketWatch, The Australian and London's Daily Telegraph – have featured molybdenum in their articles and named some of the favored companies.

Now that moly's time has come, many have passed Ken Reser by, aside from our Australian colleagues, FNArena. This is often the fate of pioneers who pave the road and point the direction where investors should head. Pioneers are oft forgotten, although streets are later named after them.

That's not going to be the case if we have any say in this. Ken Reser's moly repertoire has been extensive. Editorials since his seminal article have discussed moly uses in oil and gas de-sulphurization, catalysts, coal liquefaction, energy pipelines, oil super tankers, drill stem tubing, super alloys, nuclear reactors and turbines among others.

What many thought was fiction Reser preached, more than two years ago, are ideas now at the forefront of mainstream discussions among highly respected analysts. The International Molybdenum Association (IMOA) should be thankful Ken Reser attracted such a high level of investor interest to the moly mining sector over the past two years.

Well, the pioneer is alive and well. Ken Reser has more insights into molybdenum's future. And we invited Ken to publish them in his commentary below.

Ken Reser's Commentary

Little attention has been given to a few other aspects of this metal of mystery, in a world growing and changing so rapidly. I have little doubt there are more than a few uses of moly. New discoveries are waiting in the wings.

One case in point is Nano-Particle technology involving molybdenum.

American Elements Corp; The US leading manufacturer of Rare Earth & Advanced Material products had this to say about Nano-Particle Molybdenum:

"Molybdenum Oxide (MoO) Nano-powder or Nano-particles, nano-dots or nano-crystals are ferric and ferrous spherical or faceted high surface area oxide magnetic nanostructure particles. Nano-scale Molybdenum Oxide Particles are typically 20-80 nanometers (nm) with specific surface area (SSA) in the 10 - 50 m 2 /g range and also available in with an average particle size of 100 nm range with a specific surface area of approximately 7- 10 m 2 /g.

"Nano Molybdenum Oxide Particles are also available in ultra high purity, and high purity, transparent, and coated and dispersed forms. . Applications for Molybdenum Oxide Nano-crystals include in electrochemical capacitors, and in coatings, plastics, nano-wire, nano-fiber and textiles and in certain alloy and catalyst applications. Further research is being done for their potential electrical, dielectric, magnetic, optical, imaging, bio-medical and bioscience properties."

Applications for molybdenum nano-crystals include as a high surface area catalyst and catalyst support and as the catalysts in the synthesis of vertically aligned carbon nano-tubes and in coatings, plastics, nano-wire, nano-fiber and textiles and in certain alloy and catalyst applications.

Super Alloys Created by use of Nano-Particle Reactants

(Courtesy of Materials Research Society: Lab Data)

"Advancements in nano-technology for material processing have spurred the development of super alloys that provide improved protection against corrosion and wear. Nano-scale reactant particles offer unique thermal properties and increased homogeneity that may improve the micro-structural features and macroscopic properties of the final product.

"In this study up to 10-wt % nano-scale molybdenum tri-oxide (MoO3) particles were added to micron scale nickel (Ni) and aluminum (Al). Results show that adding MoO3 increases the flame temperature and produces greater ignition sensitivity produces a more homogeneous microstructure and increases the overall wear resistance of the product."

Some other uses of nano-particle molybdenum include integrated in paraffin, lubricants, ceramics, nuclear reactor fuel (low enriched uranium), propylene production, high temperature grease, optical fibers, plasma televisions, fuel cells, and much more.

Hollow sphere nano-moly particles now developed show greatly increased effectiveness in the bonding ability of de-sulphurization catalysts. Solar cells are now built on a backing of molybdenum foil. Nano-particle pigment coatings, glass works, dietary and medical products, including artificial limbs.

Weldability of nickel-based superalloys can be approved with 'weld filler. The invention relates to weld filler which includes these constituents (in wt %): 17.5%-20.0% chromium (Cr), 10.0%-12.0% cobalt (Co), 9.0%-10.5% Molybdenum (Mo) and 0.1%-3.3% titanium.

Hydro De-Sulphurization Catalysts

The unique HDS (Hydro De-Sulphurization) Catalyst aspect of this approach is to use nano-sized MoS2 particles for two reasons:

1. Nano-sizing increases surface area and therefore the number of "active-edge sites" per unit catalyst volume

2. Amorphous nano-particles may overcome steric resistance in sulfur-containing large aromatic molecules making the sulfur susceptible to catalytic attack during HDS.

This approach has three aspects:

• Characterization of sterically hindered organic sulfur compounds that are typically present in crudes but resistant to conventional HDS catalysts,

• Reaction behavior of these sterically hindered sulfur compounds with nano-sized MoS

• Formulation and evaluation of supported nano MoS2-based system for ultra deep catalytic HDS of heavy oils and distillates.

Worldwide, many millions of pounds of molybdenum are annually used in refineries. New refineries are now under construction in Asia, and on the drawing board in various other parts of the world.

Fuel Cells and Batteries

By alloying molybdenum with platinum, and carefully controlling the particle size and loading level of the alloy particles, engineers from the E-Tek Division of De Nora, N.A. have developed Pt-based anode catalysts for polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells that show excellent resistance to carbon monoxide poisoning.

APS Physics (March 2007) comments on Nano-Structured Molybdenum Oxides for Lithium-Ion Batteries:

"Lithium-ion batteries are the current power sources of choice for portable electronics. Although such batteries are commercially successful, they are not keeping pace with the rapid advances in computing technologies. Also, further improvement of performance and simultaneous reduction in cost as well as material toxicity remain the subject of intensive research.

"Here we report the synthesis and electrochemical performance of a novel molybdenum oxide nano-particle anode that dramatically improves current Li-ion battery technologies. Crystalline MoO nano-particles have been grown by an economical hot-wire chemical-vapor-deposition (HWCVD) technique and a recently developed electrophoresis technique is employed for the fabrication of porous nano-particle anodes. Both cycling stability and rate capability issues are addressed by employing these porous molybdenum oxide films that consist of nano-scale active particles.

"These materials will impact the next generations of rechargeable lithium batteries, not only for applications in consumer electronics, but also for clean energy storage and use in hybrid electric vehicles."

More Nano-Particle Uses

Other new uses include development of new molybdenum- (Nano-Particle) strengthened martensitic steels and other Super Alloys. It is also possible to fabricate large-area porous films of molybdenum oxide nano-particles using a novel electrophoresis deposition technique.

Nano-particle films have led to profound advancement in state-of-the-art electrochromic technologies. MoO films are promising for new lithium ion batteries. There are many newly discovered uses as well for nano particle molybdenum in ION space thrusters, space lubricants, space craft metals and even in space telescopes searching the heavens.

Although molybdenum-based catalysts have already been developed for use in the crude oil refinery process and coal liquefaction, the greatest leaps forward could come from the development of nano particle moly-based Catalysts.

Drilling every deep-depth oil well uses as much as 15% Molybdenum for every pound of drill stem steel. Considering the massive number of pounds (tons actually) of drill stem tubing annually used around the globe, I'm sure we would be amazed when extrapolating the actual amount of molybdenum used in just that one sector.

If you also consider that just one kilometer of typical crude oil pipeline uses approximately 2000 pounds of molybdenum in the steel, and there are globally between 80,000 and 100,000 miles of proposed pipeline projects, one can easily visualize the exponential growth pattern of moly demand in years ahead.

As I have stated in past, now you can see why the world is viewing molybdenum in a different light. It isn't just the demand from China, India or other rapidly developing nations driving the demand, the price and the different uses.

Molybdenum is truly a metal for and of the twenty-first century. It will play an ever increasingly important part of future base metals demand. And this could very well prove a boon to primary molybdenum mining stocks. Many have strongly rallied in the past year as molybdenum prices went north, instead of south as many 'experts' forecast.

Primary molybdenum producer Thomson Creek, imminent producer Roca Mines, and near-term producers such as Adanac Molybdenum Corp, Idaho General and Australian-based Moly Mines appear to be the investor favorites for 2007.

How To Get Your Hot Water Straight From The Sun

Hot water straight from the sun may sound too good to be true, but even in the UK a solar hot water system can supply you with over 50% of your hot water needs over the year (the other 50% coming from a conventional gas boiler or electric heater). With recent high energy prices, and concerns about Climate Change, more and more people are looking to take advantage of this tried and tested technology to save energy in their home.

A solar hot water system works by capturing the sun's heat with solar panels fitted to your roof. This transfers the heat to a fluid, which in turn transfers the heat to a hot water cylinder to store the heated water during the day.

A surprisingly large amount of energy can be captured this way, even in cooler climates like the UK. Over 1000 kwh of energy is received each year in the UK on each square metre of surface. That's about 60% of the solar radiation found at the equator. Even on cloudy days we receive energy from indirect sunlight and this energy replaces the gas or electricity that would otherwise be used to heat water. Altogether this adds up to a big saving on fuel, and a big benefit for the environment. Each solar hot water system saves around half to three-quarters of a ton of carbon dioxide each year

Solar hot water is usually the most cost effective renewable energy system you can install at home, with a shorter payback than other options, e.g. wind or solar electricity generation. The payback is improved even more by the government grants that are available in the UK.

It is also a tried and tested technology that has been around since the 1970s. Very little maintenance is generally required for solar hot water systems. They normally come with a 10 year guarantee. They generally only need a basic check by you once a year and a check by a professional every 3-5 years.

Before you decide to move ahead with the purchase of a solar hot water system you need to check that your property is suitable. You will need 2 to 5 square metres of southish facing roof space (i.e. southeast, south, or southwest facing), that has little or no shading during the day. You may also need space to locate an additional hot water cylinder if it is needed. Solar hot water systems generally work well in partnership with condensing boilers. They do not generally work well with combination boiler systems. Installation with these usually involves extra cost.

Installation costs vary due to factors such as size of the solar panels, type of roof, the existing hot water system and where your house is. The typical installation costs are between £2,000 and £5,000, although you can get several hundred pounds in grants from the UK Government to help with these. The cheapest systems are generally those based on 'flat plate collectors', which will cost between £2,000 and £3,000. Another type of system (an 'evacuated tube' system) generally costs £3,500 to £5,000, but needs less roof space to provide the same amount of water heating, because it is more efficient. An installer will help you decide which type of system is best for you.

If you are interested in installing a system, you should contact a reputable installer to carry out a survey of your home, and get a quote. They will be able to assess your property's suitability, advise you on which system is best, give you a quote and help you with grant funding. Before you can qualify for grant funding from the UK government for a system like this, you need to have already installed some basic energy efficiency measures in your home, such as low energy light bulbs, insulation and efficient heating controls.

What Domestic Energy Assessors Do And How You Can Become One

As a UK-based domestic energy assessor you can get lots of assistance and training from the NHER. Part of this help is in the form of software related to your job of issuing Energy Performance Certificates.

The NHER service is online and helps you actually produce the energy performance certificate as part of your job of domestic energy assessor. You can access this EPC software from any Web-enabled device.

You can customize it and make it your own as you go about your domestic energy assessor tasks. You can instantly update it, with new energy rating compliance decisions or methodology changes.

The software is based on SAVA and NHER compliance regulations and products.
For those domestic energy assessors or assessor candidates who yearn for human contact the NHER is available. Two certification training assessors will be assigned to you while you are training for certification.

One of these domestic energy assessor trainers will be charged with determining if you are competent in both interpersonal and business skills. The other will determine your technical compliance.

The latter would include whether you could act in a domestic energy assessor capacity - in the preparation, inspection for and completion of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for residential dwellings.

This two person assessment and support team will also be responsible for making sure you have all the training and assessment tools to complete the domestic energy assessor training program.

You will be helped in your understanding of the process as well as the skills necessary to thrive in a distance learning environment. Your staying on course as a candidate is what the team is tasked with.

Once the two person assessment team has determined that a domestic energy assessor candidate is ready to test for the certification, ABBE schedules the exam. Passing the exam is a requirement for the awarding of a DEA certificate.

Prior to the actual exam each domestic energy assessor candidate will have had a chance to do a practice self test. This will help her or him evaluate the level of knowledge theyve obtained in each of the required DEA competence areas.

While no one is compelled to take the self test they would be foolish not to avail themselves of this helpful examination aid. Identifying of the areas where knowledge of domestic energy assessor practice need improvement is crucial to earning the domestic energy assessor diploma and certificate.

A career as a domestic energy assessor is going to become increasingly more lucrative as legislation increases the demand for these certified energy efficiency experts. EPCs will then be commissioned not only by home information pack agencies and other providers, and by real estate agents and the sellers themselves.

Added to the list of those seeking domestic energy assessor professionals will be landlords, local government authorities and property management companies.