Size-controlled synthesis of nano Mo powders via reduction of commercial MoO3 with carbon black and hydrogen

Abstract In the present work, a novel method was proposed to synthesize pure nano Mo powder via temperature programmed pre-reduction of commercial MoO3 by carbon black, followed by deep deoxidation with hydrogen. It was found that the carbothermal reduction of MoO3 included three stages: MoO3 → MoO2 → MoO2 + Mo2C → Mo. It can be concluded that the morphology and size of the obtained Mo particles are mainly determined at the carbothermic reduction stage. The dispersed nucleation and controlled growth are critical issues for controlling the particle sizes of Mo, which could be achieved at the carbothermic reduction stage by using the raw materials of the MoO3 and carbon black. Whereas, when the MoO3 was directly reduced by hydrogen or active carbon with a larger particle size, or commercial MoO2 were reduced with the carbon black, the dispersed nucleation and controlled growth of products can't be achieved. Meanwhile, to reduce the residual carbon content in the final Mo product, in the carbothermic pre-reduction process, the small amount of MoO2 was kept in the pre-reduced Mo powders, which was removed by hydrogen at the deep deoxidation stage. The content of residual carbon content in the final produced Mo nanopowders can be reduced to about 0.02%. This method has the advantages of simplicity, low cost, and high efficiency. Therefore, it has great potential for the industrial preparation of nano Mo powders in a large-scale.