Molybdenum

Molybdenum consists of a white metal that is used a great deal in steel alloys. Its main ores are molybdenite and wulfenite. Molybdenite consists of a soft black colored mineral that occurs in crystals but in many occasions it can be found as plates or flakes. Some have confused it with graphite. If you make a streak of it on paper it will look like a pencil mark but will also look sort of greenish. This has a metallic luster to it, a hardness of 1 to 1.5 and a specific gravity of 4.6 to 4.8. Wulfenite consists of a minor ore of molybdenum and has a good amount of lead in it. This can almost always be found as crystals that are usually thin. Just about all of the settings have been found in desert areas where the climate is arid. In its natural form it has a red, yellow, gray or brown color. It has an adamantine luster to it, a hardness of 2.7 to 3 and a specific gravity of 6.8.