Metals in commercial catalysts: 1. Molybdenum and tungsten

Information on the production and consumption of molybdenum and tungsten in the world and in Russia is provided. The lowering of domestic consumption of these metals in the Russian industry is demonstrated. The use of these metals in catalysts manufacturing in Russia is considered. The assortment of domestic molybdenum- and tungsten-containing catalysts is discussed, and their consumption is estimated. The current demand for molybdenum and tungsten in catalyst manufacturing is small because of the high impact of imported catalysts and low level in the development of chemical catalytic processes. Certain applications of molybdenum- and tungsten-containing catalysts are considered. It is shown that the consumption of molybdenum and tungsten in the manufacturing of high-added value products (catalysts) may grow at the expense of the replacement of imported catalysts by competitive domestic molybdenum- and tungsten-containing catalysts and their use in new processes.