METHOD OF FIRST ORDER REDUCTION OF AMMONIUM MOLYBDATE

PURPOSE:To obtain inexpensively molybdenum oxide comprising MoO2 as a main component by first-order reduction without using an expensive hydrogen gas, by decomposing ammonium molybdate in an air-shielding container under heating. CONSTITUTION:Ammonium molybdate is thermally decomposed in an air- shielding container at 600-800 deg.C to give molybdenum oxide comprising MoO2 as a main component. When ammonium molybdate is heated by baking in a casserole like this, ammonium molybdate crystal is decomposed to evolve an ammonia gas, and molybdenum oxide comprising MoO3 produced by the decomposition as a main component is reduced to give a lower oxide comprising MoO2 as a main component. Consequently, ammonium molybdate can be subjected to first-order reduction without using an expensive hydrogen gas at all, this method is extremely economical, and this process also has high productivity because a relatively large amount of the raw materials can be treated at one time. This method is first-order reduction method of ammonium molybdate suitably applicable to Mo manufacturing process in powder metallurgy.