metals

The plus for weldability

Niobium (also niobium) is a chemical element with the element symbol Nb and the atomic number 41. It is one of the transition metals, in the periodic table it is in the 5th period and the 5th subgroup (group 5) or vanadium group.

In the Anglo-Saxon language area, metallurgists and material suppliers still occasionally use the long outdated designation columbium and the abbreviation Cb.

The rarely occurring heavy metal is gray in color and easy to forge. Niobium is mainly obtained from the niobium-rich representatives of the pyrochlore upper group, the minerals of the columbite mixed crystal series columbite-(Mn) - columbite-(Mn) and loparite. Niobium is mainly used in metallurgy to make specialty steels and improve weldability.

Niobium is a rare element with a share of 1.8·10−3% in the earth's crust. It doesn't look dignified. Due to the similar ionic radii, niobium and tantalum are always found together. The most important niobium minerals are representatives of the columbite-tantalite mixed crystal series with the general formula (Fe,Mn)(Nb,Ta)2O6, which, depending on the dominance of niobium or tantalum, are classified as columbite (columbite-(Fe) – columbite-( Mn)) or tantalite (solid solution series tantalite-(Fe) - tantalite-(Mn)), as well as representatives of the pyrochlore group within the pyrochlore upper group. About 85-90% of the niobium industry uses niobium from deposits that do not produce tantalum ores.

Niobium is used as an alloy additive for stainless steels, special stainless steels (e.g. pipes for hydrochloric acid production) and non-ferrous alloys, since niobium-alloyed materials are characterized by increased mechanical strength. As a strong carbide former, niobium is also alloyed in welding filler materials to bind carbon.