In Canada and Australia it is certain that no one large interest has control, as the ore comes from a number of more or less independent small mines.
A large number of patents have been issued in connection with the concentration and metallurgy of molybdenum. None of these is vital to production; most are valueless, and even those that have a distinct value do not necessarily give control to the owner of the patents or secret processes.
In order to insure a steady demand for molybdenum, the prime requisite is a definite knowledge of the properties and uses of molybdenum steel. In the past this has been lacking, and at present it is not possessed by the majority of operators and steel makers. Europe should assist materially in supplying this deficiency. Molybdenum steel at the present time is in the same position as vanadium steel was a number of years ago—it is on trial. This uncertainty caused a very decided slump in the demand for molybdenum concentrates in the spring of 1918. A control of molybdenum is more likely to come through the manufacture of molybdenum steel than through processes connected with the production of concentrates or ferromolybdenum.
POSITION OF LEADING COMMERCIAL NATIONS
At present the United States has the largest potential supply of molybdenum ores of any country in the world. In addition it has three of the largest and most modern mills that are handling ore from any molybdenum deposit. It is in a favorable position to equal or surpass, for some time, any other country, in output of molybdenum concentrates.
Before the war Great Britain, through political control of the Australian and Canadian deposits, was the world’s leading producer. Some molybdenum came from Norway, but the amount was small as compared to the output of Australia, Norway producing in 1913 only 13 short tons and Australia 162.6. In both Canada and Australia the known deposits have not been worked to capacity and new deposits will probably be discovered with proper prospecting, so that the future molybdenum production under British control promises to increase. The Canadian and British governments are much interested in the development of the molybdenum resources of the dominion.
France is entirely dependent upon England and the United States, although it might be able to get a small amount of concentrates direct from Norway.
Germany was much interested in molybdenum before the war. During the war it probably did not import any molybdenum concentrates at all, and as the world production before that time was small it is not likely that there was any reserve on hand in the empire in 1919.
Japan has no molybdenum deposits as far as is known, and probably is not specially interested at present in the use of this metal.
The distribution of the chief molybdenum deposits of the world is shown in [Plate VII].