Niobium metal is silvery white metal, which is ductile. It process into powder normally. However other forms are available too as chips, slugs, sheets, foils, granules, cylinders, ingot, wires and rods. Nb element is stable in air. Under high temperature, it compounds with sulfur, nitrogen and carbon. Element Nb alloy with titanium, zirconium, hafnium and tungsten easily. The chemical property of columbium is very close to tantalum. Although its corrosion resistance is not high as tantalum, but its price is lower and more common. So with low request situations, niobium powder replace tantalum like tank coating for chemical processing.
Niobium Metal
| CAS No.:7440-03-1 | EINECS No.:231-113-5 | Molecular Formula:Nb | Molecular Weight:92.91 |
| Density:8.57 | Melting Point:2520℃ | Boiling Point:4742℃ | UN 1383 4.2/PG 2 |
Applications
Niobium powder can absorb gas, which use as degasifier. It is also great superconductor at low temperature. Niobium is the third elements that is one of the II category superconductor after vanadium and technetium. The purity of niobium will affect its superconducting property.
Niobium ingot apply to high-temperature alloys normally, for examples inconel 718, C-103, FS85, Cb129Y, Cb752 and Nb1Zr. Inconel 718 is a kind of Ni-Nb alloy, which contain Ni 50%, Cr 18.6%, Fe 18.5%, Nb 5%, Mo 3.1%, Ti 0.9% and Al 0.4%. C-103 is a kind of niobium alloy, which contains 89% Nb, 10% Hf and 1% Ti.
Niobium powder is for welding electrode production normally. There are different kinds, FNb-1, FNb-2 and FNb-3. Niobium metal powder get common uses in niobium capacitor of circuit board, due to its high dielectric constant and stable oxide media.
Niobium sheets, niobium wires, niobium rods, niobium pellets and niobium tubes get applications in sputtering target, cathodic protection system and chemical reactor, due their corrosion resistance, forming oxide nitride films, oxidation resistance, strong creep resistance, reducing high temperature corrosion.
The most important superconducting material is Nb-Ti and Nb-Sn, which are widely used in MRI for medical diagnosis and NMR for spectral analysis.
Aerospace industry is the main application field for high purity niobium, which focus on producing engine and heat-resistant parts of rocket and airship. The Nb-Ta alloy owns good heat resistance and processability, which is widely used in producing engine parts of aviation and blade of gas turbine.