A Brief History of Ferro Niobium

In 1801, British chemist C. Hatchett discovered a new element when analyzing an ore in the U.S., and named it columbium in honor of the ore's origin; in 1844, German chemist H. Rose discovered a new element similar to tantalum and named it niobium; and in 1866, it was confirmed that columbium and niobium were the same element. In 1951, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (JUPAC) unified the name "niobium". However, columbium is still used in the metallurgical industry in the Americas, which is why ferro-niobium is also known as columbium. Early production of ferro-niobium was based on F.M. Beck-et's 1935 patent for the production of columbium in electric furnaces using the electrosilicon thermal method. T. Burchell reported in detail on the aluminum-thermal process for the production of ferro-niobium in 1950. The Jilin Ferroalloy Plant in China produced ferro-niobium by the aluminum-thermal process in 1959. Tangshan Iron and Steel Works, in cooperation with Beijing Iron and Steel Research Institute, studied the production of niobium-manganese ferro-alloys (containing about 5%-6% Nb) in an electric furnace by extracting niobium slag from niobium-containing pig iron in Baotou using a side-blowing converter in 1966. During the same period, Baotou Iron and Steel Company cooperated with Beijing Iron and Steel Research Institute to produce niobium-containing pig iron from flat furnace niobium-containing slag in blast furnace, extract niobium slag by converter, and refine it into niobium-manganese ferroalloy (Nb10%～15%) in electric furnace.

Ferro Niobium is a ferrous alloy of niobium and iron as its main components. It also contains impurities such as aluminum, silicon, carbon, sulfur and phosphorus. Depending on the amount of niobium contained in the alloy, it is divided into FeNb50, FeNb60, FeNb70. ferroalloys produced from niobium-tantalum ores contain tantalum and are called niobium-tantalum ferroalloys. Vacuum smelting of iron-based alloys and nickel-based alloys such as ferro-niobium and niobium-nickel alloys for niobium additives. Requirements for low gas content, low harmful impurities, such as Pb, Sb, Bi, Sn, As, etc. are <2 × 10, so the title "VQ" (vacuum quality), such as VQFeNb, VQNiNb and so on. China's production of niobium-manganese ferroalloys (Nb10% ~ 15%) used as a low-alloy steel alloying agent and carbon steel niobium treatment agent.