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Molybdenum Foil
Available Configurations
Properties common to all products in this list
| Purity | Thickness | Length | Width | Temper Options | Surface Finish Options |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99.9% | 0.001mm to 25mm | 5mm to 1000mm | 5mm to 609mm | Annealed, As Rolled, Stress Relieved | Polished on both sides |
Need custom configurations? Please contact our Technical Solutions team.
Key Features
Molybdenum foil possesses a combination of material characteristics that make it particularly well suited for aerospace, semiconductor, energy, and high-temperature processing applications:
Extremely High Melting Point (2,623 °C)
Molybdenum has an extremely high melting point and retains mechanical strength at elevated temperatures. This makes molybdenum foil ideal for high-temperature environments such as furnace insulation, aerospace heat shields, and thermal management systems in industrial processing.
High Strength and Load-Bearing Capacity
Even in ultra-thin formats, molybdenum foil maintains excellent tensile strength and stiffness. It resists creep and deformation under thermal and mechanical stress, supporting demanding applications in aerospace, defence, and high-temperature tooling.
Dimensional Stability Under Heat
Molybdenum expands very little when heated, helping it maintain its shape and size in fluctuating thermal environments. This is especially important in semiconductor tooling, precision fixtures, and assemblies where accuracy is critical.
Reliable Electrical and Thermal Conductivity (53 nΩ·m / 138 W/m·K)
With a stable electrical resistivity of 53 nΩ·m and a high thermal conductivity of 138 W/m·K, molybdenum foil provides consistent performance in heat spreaders, power electronics, and vacuum electronic components operating under elevated temperatures.
Corrosion Resistance
High-purity molybdenum resists attack from most acids and alkalis and remains chemically stable in vacuum and inert gas environments. This ensures long-term reliability in corrosive and reactive systems.
Industrial Applications
High-purity molybdenum foil is used across high-technology sectors for its exceptional thermal stability, mechanical strength, low thermal expansion, and chemical resilience:
- ✦ Aerospace & Defence Systems
- Employed in rocket nozzles, heat shields, and structural components exposed to extreme temperatures and mechanical stress, where its high melting point and strength ensure long-term performance in vacuum and oxidising environments.
- ✦ Electronics & Semiconductor Manufacturing
- Used as sputtering targets, substrates, and lead frames in thin-film deposition and integrated circuit fabrication. Its thermal expansion coefficient closely matches silicon, minimising stress and enhancing device reliability.
- ✦ Display & Photovoltaic Technologies
- Forms electrodes in CIGS solar cells and conductive layers in TFT displays, where its conductivity, corrosion resistance, and surface smoothness support efficient energy conversion and high-resolution imaging.
- ✦ Scientific & High-Temperature Processing Equipment
- Applied in furnace linings, heating elements, and glass melting electrodes, where its thermal shock resistance and compatibility with molten materials ensure durability under extreme thermal cycling.
- ✦ Medical Imaging & Diagnostic Devices
- Used in X-ray tube components and high-power LED heat sinks, where its thermal conductivity and mechanical integrity support precision imaging and stable operation under high loads.
Mentions in Scientific Literature
Goodfellow's molybdenum foil features prominently in research including but not exclusive to domains such as:
Thin-Film Material Studies, where it is used as a substrate for silicon thin films to study defects and how electrical charges move through the material
[1]
.
High-Field Physics & Accelerator Technology, used as electrode materials in spark experiments to explore electrical discharge and breakdown behaviour for future particle accelerator designs
[2]
.
Across these disciplines researchers have utilised our molybdenum foils as
thin-film growth and characterisation substrates for studying charge carrier transport in silicon
[1]
and as
high-voltage electrode materials in DC spark breakdown experiments for accelerator technology
[2]
— applications that all benefit from molybdenum's high melting point, excellent thermal and electrical conductivity, and mechanical strength.
References & Citations
Click to expand
- Oleksandr Astakhov, Carius, R., Finger, F., Petrusenko, Y., Borysenko, V., & Dmytro Barankov. (2009). Relationship between defect density and charge carrier transport in amorphous and microcrystalline silicon. Physical Review B, 79(10). https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.79.104205
- Hansen, A. (2009, May 15). Investigation of the energy dependence of breakdown properties with a DC spark setup. CDS; Norwegian University of Sciences and Technology. https://cds.cern.ch/record/1266866
Synonyms
Material Properties
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 42 |
| Crystal structure | Body centred cubic |
| Electronic structure | Kr 4d⁵ 5s¹ |
| Valences shown | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
| Atomic weight( amu ) | 95.94 |
| Thermal neutron absorption cross-section( Barns ) | 2.65 |
| Photo-electric work function( eV ) | 4.2 |
| Natural isotope distribution( Mass No./% ) | 95/ 15.9 |
| Natural isotope distribution( Mass No./% ) | 96/ 16.7 |
| Natural isotope distribution( Mass No./% ) | 98/ 24.1 |
| Natural isotope distribution( Mass No./% ) | 97/ 9.6 |
| Natural isotope distribution( Mass No./% ) | 92/ 14.8 |
| Natural isotope distribution( Mass No./% ) | 94/ 9.3 |
| Natural isotope distribution( Mass No./% ) | 100/ 9.6 |
| Atomic radius - Goldschmidt( nm ) | 0.14 |
| Ionisation potential( No./eV ) | 2/ 16.15 |
| Ionisation potential( No./eV ) | 5/ 61.2 |
| Ionisation potential( No./eV ) | 68 |
| Ionisation potential( No./eV ) | 1/ 7.10 |
| Ionisation potential( No./eV ) | 3/ 27.2 |
| Ionisation potential( No./eV ) | 4/ 46.4 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Material condition | Hard |
| Material condition | Soft |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.293 |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.293 |
| Bulk modulus( GPa ) | 261.2 |
| Bulk modulus( GPa ) | 261.2 |
| Tensile modulus( GPa ) | 324.8 |
| Tensile modulus( GPa ) | 324.8 |
| Hardness - Vickers( kgf mm⁻² ) | 250 |
| Hardness - Vickers( kgf mm⁻² ) | 200 |
| Tensile strength( MPa ) | 485-550 |
| Tensile strength( MPa ) | 620-690 |
| Yield strength( MPa ) | 550 |
| Yield strength( MPa ) | 415-450 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Electrical resistivity( µOhmcm ) | 5.7@20°C |
| Superconductivity critical temperature( K ) | 0.915 |
| Temperature coefficient( K⁻¹ ) | 0.00435@0-100°C |
| Thermal emf against Pt (cold 0C - hot 100C)( mV ) | 1.45 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Boiling point( C ) | 4612 |
| Density( gcm⁻³ ) | 10.22@20°C |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Melting point( C ) | 2617 |
| Latent heat of evaporation( J g⁻¹ ) | 6153 |
| Latent heat of fusion( J g⁻¹ ) | 290 |
| Specific heat( J K⁻¹ kg⁻¹ ) | 251@25°C |
| Thermal conductivity( W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ ) | 138@0-100°C |
| Coefficient of thermal expansion( x10⁻⁶ K⁻¹ ) | 5.1@0-100°C |
Tolerances
| Thickness | <0.01mm | ±25% |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness | 0.01mm - 0.05mm | ±15% |
| Thickness | >0.05mm | ±10% |