What do you know about niobium? This metal is used in several industries for specialized applications and has no effective substitutes. Niobium is needed for the manufacturing of cars, ships, buildings, computers, superconducting magnets, high-tech devices and more. The need for it keeps rising in these modern times. I ki tera, it’s not exactly ubiquitous when it comes to finding it on Earth.
Niobium Mining Industry
Did you know, hei tauira, that the U.S. has no niobium mining industry and has to import 100% of its niobium source materials for processing, mostly from Brazil and Canada? There is an exception, ahakoa, and that’s when small amounts of niobium are recovered from alloy scrap.
Naming History
Niobium was originally called columbium but then renamed niobium after Niobe, the daughter of Tantalus, a Greek mythological figure. It was first “discovered” in the early 1800s and the names columbium and niobium were both used to identify this element up until 1949, which is when the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry decided to adopt niobium as the official name.
Niobium Production
In the U.S. some niobium mine production was done in the early 1900s, but petered out in the late 1950s. Na, the U.S. has imported it mainly from Brazil, though Canada, Russia and Germany also produce it. If you were to ask, “Where’s the world’s leading supplier of niobium?” then the answer is most definitely Brazil, home to about 90% of the world’s supply. Major deposits occur in Late Cretaceous carbonatite complexes there, with the largest Brazilian operating deposit being known as the Araxa deposit. In Canada, there’s the Niobec Mine in Quebec, and it’s the only operating underground niobium mine in the world.
Niobium Properties
Niobium has relatively low density, a high melting point and superconductor properties. Because of these properties, it’s quite “in demand” around the world for many industrial and manufacturing uses.
If you are looking to buy niobium, Eagle Alloys has it for sale in various configurations; Check out this webpage.
For more info about niobium, Karangahia a Eagle Alloys i 800-237-9012.
