Molybdenum Disulfide (MoS2) Micron Powder, Purity: 99.9+%, Size: 325 mesh

FAQ About Molybdenum Disulfide (MoS2) Micron Powder, 325 Mesh

1) What particle size does 325 mesh correspond to?

325 mesh describes a sieve specification: the powder passes through a screen with 325 openings per linear inch, corresponding to particles below approximately 44 µm. It is a size ceiling rather than an average, so the material spans a distribution up to that limit. This is the standard fineness for MoS2 used as a dry lubricant and as a functional additive, where the powder must disperse and deposit evenly across a contact surface.

2) What are the CAS and EC numbers for this material?

Molybdenum disulfide is registered under CAS number 1317-33-5 and EC number 215-263-9, with the chemical formula MoS2. It is supplied as an odourless powder. Both identifiers should be quoted on purchase orders, chemical inventories and safety documentation, since molybdenum forms several commercially available compounds — molybdenum trioxide and molybdenum carbide among them — that are easily confused by name alone but behave completely differently.

3) Why does purity matter for a solid lubricant?

At 99.9+%, this grade is high purity for a micron-scale MoS2 powder. Purity matters because residual oxides and abrasive mineral impurities work directly against the material's function: MoS2 reduces friction by allowing its layers to shear past one another, and hard contaminant particles interrupt that mechanism and score the mating surface instead. In electronic and electrochemical applications, trace metals introduce unwanted conductivity or side reactions.

4) Is the powder soluble, and how does that affect formulation?

Molybdenum disulfide is insoluble in water. Any liquid formulation containing it is therefore a dispersion rather than a solution, which has two practical consequences: the particles will settle over time unless the carrier is thickened or a suspending agent is used, and the material must be redispersed before use rather than assumed to be homogeneous in a stored container. This is why MoS2 greases and coatings are formulated with rheology control rather than as simple mixtures.

5) Can this powder be used as a precursor for exfoliated MoS2?

Bulk MoS2 powder is the conventional starting material for producing few-layer and monolayer MoS2 by liquid-phase or mechanical exfoliation, since the van der Waals gaps between layers are what allow separation. Yield and final flake dimensions depend heavily on solvent selection, energy input and separation method rather than on the starting powder alone, so exfoliation protocols should be developed and validated for the specific target morphology.

6) How is MoS2 used in coatings and greases?

MoS2 is incorporated into anti-friction coatings and lubricating greases, where it forms a low-shear-strength film on the contact surface and continues to function in vacuum and at temperatures where oil-based lubricants fail. Loading level, carrier system and surface preparation determine performance far more than the powder specification alone, and formulation approaches are covered in MoS2 applications on anti-friction coatings.

7) Should I use the micron powder or a sputtering target?

The two forms serve different deposition routes. Micron powder is used where the material is blended into a formulation — a grease, a coating, a composite or an electrode slurry — or processed further, for example by exfoliation. A MoS2 sputtering target is used to deposit a continuous thin film under vacuum with controlled thickness, which is the route for solid-lubricant coatings on precision components and for thin-film electronic devices.

8) Which applications use this grade, and in what quantities is it supplied?

Reported application areas include secondary batteries, field-effect transistors, sensors, lubrication materials, functional additives and organic light-emitting devices — reflecting that MoS2 is simultaneously a layered solid lubricant and a semiconducting two-dimensional material. It is supplied in 5 g, 25 g, 100 g, 500 g and 1000 g quantities, with larger volumes quoted on request. Nanografi records studies conducted with its materials at Scientific Publications & Research, and other particle sizes are listed under molybdenum disulfide micron powder.