Niobium

Niobium is an element of group V of the secondary subgroup, atomic number 41 .

The simple substance niobium is a shiny metal that has a characteristic silvery-gray color. For niobium, isotopes with mass numbers from 81 to 113 are known .

The pure metal is ductile and can be cold rolled into a thin sheet without intermediate annealing .

At ordinary temperatures, niobium is stable in air. Able to absorb gases (nitrogen, water conduit, oxygen) .

Application area

The main area of application of niobium is the alloying of steels. They have good corrosion resistance .

Some non-ferrous metals are also alloyed with niobium. It increases the strength of metals such as titanium, molybdenum, zirconium, and at the same time increases their heat resistance and heat resistance. Products from these alloys are used in rocket, space and aviation technology .

Niobium is used to produce superconducting materials that are used to create powerful small electromagnets, solenoid windings, and superconducting device cables .

Niobium has found application in medicine. Threads from it do not cause irritation of living tissue and are well merged with it. Reconstructive surgery has successfully used such sutures to repair torn tendons, blood vessels, and even nerves .

Because niobium looks nice enough, then it is used in jewelry .

Niobium compounds also found use :

• niobium oxide Nb ₂ O ₅ - a catalyst in the chemical industry;
• in the production of refractories, cermets, special glasses, nitride, carbide, niobates;
• niobium carbide in an alloy with zirconium carbide and uranium-235 carbide is the most important structural material for fuel rods of solid-phase nuclear jet engines;
• niobium nitride NbN is used to produce thin and ultrathin superconducting films with a critical temperature of 5 to 10 K with a narrow transition, on the order of 0.1 K.