A Trainee Shows the Way

Bengt Qvist, an apprentice in the Swedish Board of Mines, reported in 1754 about an investigation of molybdcena. The report. Observations about Blyerts (Blacklead) gave some important findings about the mineral molybdenum sulfide  

These early findings of young Bengt Qvist have been verified surprisingly well. Today the density of molybdenum sulfide is determined as 4.7-4.S g/cm. The mineral gives off SO2 on gentle heating and even the oxide itself is volatile at 750°C. 

Experiments with reduction of the chalk with mixtures of carbon, coal dust and tallow at the highest possible temperature, bellows heat for 7-8 minutes, failed. He was unable to find a new metal, but he wrote that he had a feeling that the mineral really contained some special metaUic essence . 

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