NIOBIUM (NB)Don WillmothChemistry 120

Fall 2011

NIOBIUM

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DiscoveryFirst announced in 1801 by English chemist Charles Hatchett, he suggested the name Columbium after

the mineral in which it is found Columbite.

Until 1844 was thought to be the same element as Tantalum.

In 1844 German chemist Heinrich Rose rediscovers Columbium by producing two new acids from

Columbite and Tantalite.

Rose proposes the name Columbite-Niobium after Niobe the Greek goddess of tears, daughter of Tantalus from whom the name Tantalum comes

from.

It is not until 1866 the Jean Charles Galissard De Marignac proves that Niobium and Tantalum are in

fact two separate elements.

Acceptance Marignac also indicates Columbium and

Niobium are the same element.

It is not until 1949 the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) adopts

Niobium as the name for the element.

Today many metallurgist continue to use the name Columbium for the element.

In its raw form it is mined alongside Tantalum.

PropertiesNiobium is a shiny grey metal

Solid at room temperature

Melting Point 2468° C

Boiling Point 4927° C

Density 8.57 g/cm3

Period 5, Group 5 on the periodic table

PropertiesHeat of Fusion 30

KJ/mol-1

Heat of Vaporization 689.9 KJ/mol-1

Electronegativity 1.6

Crystal Structure, Cubic Body-Center

Mohs Hardness 6.0

One naturally occurring isotope and 18 known.

Occurrence and Cost

Abundance in the earths crust at 17 parts per million by weight or 3.7 parts

per million by moles.

In the solar system it occurs at 4 parts per million by weight or 50 parts per

trillion by moles.

Niobium is not traded on any exchange so pricing is negotiated per trade, with current pricing at approximately $45.00

per Kg.

Pyrochlore Pyrochlore is the primary mineral from

which niobium is obtained.

The largest deposits are located in Brazil and Quebec Canada

Estimated reserves totaling 460 million tons are enough to meet current demands for

about 500 years.

Niobium is also found in very small quantities in the slag produced while

smelting some tin ores.

ColtanAn abbreviation used only in Africa for the “columbo-tantalite” mineral, containing both Columbium (niobium) and Tantalum.

There is controversy over the mining of Coltan in Africa, the UN reports it has been used to finance war in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, much like “blood diamonds”, of the 1990’s and 2000’s.

Common UsesNiobium is used in the manufacture of Stainless Steel and other non ferrous

metals, to enhance their strength.

It is widely used in metals devoted to pipeline usage.

It has a low capture cross-section for thermal neutrons making it optimal for use

in the nuclear industries.

Niobium is used extensively by NASA as a superconducting resilient material.

Superconductor Magnets

When mixed with aluminum, tin and titanium these alloys are formed into superconducting magnets, creating

some of the strongest electromagnets in the world.

These magnets are often used in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance machines.

Jet Engines

Both Niobium and Tantalum are used in the manufacture of turbine blades, for use in jet engines.

Eyeglasses

Adding Niobium to optical glass

provides a higher rate of refraction,

allowing for a thinner, lighter

corrective lens lens.

It is also being used in camera lenses and

copy machines.

NASA used Niobium to help prove Einstein's Theory of Relativity correct. In 2004 NASA

launches the Gravity Probe-B with 4 fused quartz gyroscopes, coated with Niobium, they were the

most spherical spheres ever made.

Niobium Coins

Niobium is used by mints throughout the world in the

manufacture of proof coins. Its ability to

accept anodizing in a wide range of colors makes it attractive to mints producing bi-metal coins.

Jewelry

Niobium being hypoallergenic is

used throughout the jewelry industry.

With its availability in a large range of colors Niobium has become a favorite

for use in body piercing jewelry.

Conclusion

Niobium may not be a household name, but its uses are seen everyday from its addition to steel for strengthening to

the jewelry worn in a piercing. It is the unseen uses in the Space industry,

along with the medical and scientific fields as a superconductor that Niobium

is a truly unique element.

ReferencesGoogle images

minerals.usgs.gov

Webelements.com/niobium

Jefferson Lab

Cengage.com

Rolls-Royce

Wise geek

Techie-buzz

Austrian mint