Niobium 99.9%, 1 g

Niobium (Nb), Latin and English Niobium, is a grey, soft, corrosion-resistant metal belonging to the group of transition metals. It was named after Niobe, the daughter of the mythical king Tantalus. The melting point of niobium is 2477 °C, the boiling point is 4744 °C. Niobium is not magnetic at normal temperatures; it can be a superconductor at low temperatures. It is paramagnetic, weakly attracting magnets.

Niobium for sale: we supply packaging with a purity of 99.9% in multiples of 1 g.

Niobium occurs naturally in minerals such as columbite, coltan, and euxenite. It is often found mixed with tantalum, whose properties are similar. The largest reserves of niobium are in Russia, Brazil, Canada, Nigeria, and South Africa.

Niobium is used in many fields – as a component of high-grade steel and alloys of non-ferrous metals, which are often used in the construction of pipeline systems, as well as in the nuclear industry or in arc welding. Its bluish color is popular in the production of alloys for body piercing.

Large amounts of niobium in the form of ferroniobium and nickel-niobium are used in superalloys for jet engine components and in high-temperature equipment. Niobium also serves as an alternative to tantalum in capacitors. Thanks to its physiological inertness, it is also used in jewelry and medicine.

Charles Hatchett discovered niobium in columbite and originally named it columbium. Only later did other researchers discover that columbite contains both tantalum and niobium.

Thanks to its exceptional properties, niobium has become an important metal for space exploration, where it is used in the production of heat shields and rocket engines because it can withstand extreme temperatures and thus improve rocket performance.

Try this element for experiments.