Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), an important solid lubricant material, is seeing its production process undergo an environmental transformation that provides tangible support for the carbon neutrality goals of the manufacturing sector. Traditional acid-leaching methods for producing high-purity molybdenum disulfide generate large quantities of acidic wastewater, while physical flotation processes achieve high-purity product preparation without acid leaching, significantly reducing carbon emissions and environmental pollution. This article examines the technical principles and green manufacturing value of MoS2 environmental processes against the backdrop of carbon neutrality policies.

Carbon Neutrality Policy and Manufacturing Emission Pressure

In September 2020, China announced its goal to "strive to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060" at the 75th United Nations General Assembly. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) Global Energy Review, global industrial sector carbon emissions account for approximately 25% of total emissions, with chemical and material processing being key areas for emission reduction. As the world's largest molybdenum producer, China produced approximately 130,000 tons of molybdenum in 2023 (per USGS data), and the decarbonization potential of molybdenum material processing should not be overlooked.

Traditional molybdenum disulfide production processes use nitric acid or hydrochloric acid leaching as the core step, removing copper, lead, iron, and other impurity metals from molybdenum concentrate to improve MoS2 purity. This process generates approximately 3 to 5 tons of acidic wastewater per ton of product, requiring multi-stage neutralization treatment before discharge, incurring high treatment costs and posing secondary pollution risks. Under carbon neutrality constraints, finding alternative processes has become an industry imperative.

Technical Principles and Environmental Advantages of Physical Flotation

The physical flotation process (physically floated process) exploits the natural floatability of molybdenum minerals and the differences in surface properties of impurity minerals to achieve purification through flotation separation, without using strong acids. Molybdenum concentrate primarily consists of MoS2 at approximately 45% to 55% grade. Through 6 to 8 stages of flotation cleaning, using selective adsorption of collectors and frothers, MoS2 is separated from chalcopyrite (CuFeS2), galena (PbS), and other impurity minerals. MoS2 purity can reach 98% and above, and further chemical purification can achieve 99.9% high-purity grade.

Compared with traditional acid leaching, the physical flotation process offers significant environmental advantages: first, it eliminates acidic wastewater discharge, cutting pollution at the source; second, it reduces energy consumption, with per-ton product energy consumption approximately 60% to 70% of the acid leaching method; third, it reduces carbon emissions, with per-ton product carbon emissions reduced by approximately 30% to 40%. Under GB 8978 "Integrated Wastewater Discharge Standard" and HJ 2042 "Technical Policy for Pollution Prevention in Lead-Zinc Smelting Industry," acid leaching wastewater treatment and discharge are strictly regulated, and the physical flotation process fundamentally eliminates this compliance risk.

Application Value of High-Purity MoS2 in Green Manufacturing

High-purity molybdenum disulfide offers multidimensional application value in green manufacturing. In the grease field, adding 1% to 3% MoS2 ultrafine powder significantly enhances the extreme pressure and anti-wear properties of lubricating grease, extending equipment lubrication life by 2 to 3 times, reducing waste grease discharge and equipment replacement frequency, and indirectly lowering resource consumption in manufacturing. In the new energy vehicle sector, MoS2 is used for motor bearing lubrication and chassis ball joint lubrication, reducing friction losses and improving driving range. In lithium-ion battery anode material research, MoS2 as a two-dimensional layered material demonstrates a high theoretical specific capacity (approximately 670mAh/g), far exceeding graphite's 372mAh/g, providing a new direction for high-energy-density battery development.

Under GB/T 23271-2009 "Molybdenum Disulfide" national standard, industrial-grade MoS2 is classified by purity into grades such as CMo1 (not less than 98%) and CMo2 (not less than 96%), with high-purity grades seeing continued demand growth in green manufacturing applications. According to Grand View Research, the global molybdenum disulfide market size is projected to reach approximately USD 750 million by 2026, with an annual growth rate of about 4% to 5%, with high-purity products produced by environmental processes growing faster than the industry average.

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