Niobium strip: production, properties, application

NB – a chemical element with sequence number 41. It was first discovered in the early nineteenth century, however, its recognition has been postponed for 150 years. Only in 1950 the decision of the International Union of applied and theoretical chemistry atom has been allocated its own cell in the periodic system.To use a beneficial quality item in the industry, it is made of a niobium strip. In itself it does not possess anything unique. Its full potential is revealed when the creation of alloys, solutions and other formulations.

Extraction of niobium

Beneficiation niobium ore – a highly complicated and expensive process. All because of its content in one tonne of rock does not exceed 24 grams. In addition, an element with similar chemical properties are very difficult to distinguish from tantalum.

Under natural conditions occurs only in scattered form-in igneous rocks and crystals and some minerals-pyrochlore, loparite, columbite-tantalite. This element of the periodic system is extracted mainly from the presented compounds. Production of niobium consists of three stages:

1. Opening rocks with a high content of niobium substances.
2. The Separation of niobium from tantalum, getting their net connections.
3. Recovery and purification of the metal and its alloys from impurities.

The Basis of the production cycle are high temperature thermal processes using aluminium, sodium or carbon. Directly to the niobium strip is obtained by pressing the powder, sintering the powder “blocks” in a vacuum, and electrolicious arc melting.

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Useful properties

Thanks to its outstanding characteristics, niobium is used in many industries. To facilitate the process of implementation of element in a formula of a base composition made of various rolled products, including niobium strip. The main active substance is a carbide of niobium, which has beneficial effects on the mechanical properties of the materials.The addition of one ton of steel requires only 200 grams of niobium. The resulting alloy has a high hardness and flexibility, low brittleness, the best corrosion resistance. The element used for protective non-ferrous metals, particularly aluminum, from alkalis and acids.

Niobium

Niobium strip is most often used as an alloying additive in the creation of alloys as non-ferrous and ferrous metals. The main areas of application of niobium are rocket science, radio and electronic equipment, chemical apparatus building, aviation and space engineering.

Metal, or clean, niobium is due to a number of its beneficial properties. Among them are refractoriness, corrosion resistance, ability to increase the heat resistance of materials and their conductive capacity.

A Unique quality, which has niobium strip, is almost zero interaction with uranium isotopes at temperatures up to 1100 degrees Celsius. Moreover, the atom has a low artificial radioactivity. All this allows him to use to protect nuclear reactors and as containers for storing spent radioactive fuel.

Products made of niobium

Niobium metal created products primarily to meet the needs of the nuclear industry. Here it's get shell for uranium and plutonium for heat-segregation elements, containers for storage of liquid metals, of radioactive waste.Articles made of niobium are used to create heavy-duty computing. With its help reduce the resistance of the conductors, thereby obtaining cryotron – servicecoplete elements of the computer. In Austria, a silver alloy and niobium used in the minting of collector coins.