Applications of Niobium

The earliest use of niobium was as an alloy with steel. Although it has many other uses today, this is still the leading application of the element. Industries also often alloy it with other metals, such as iron, cobalt, nickel, zirconium and other non-ferrous metals. It also plays a key role in the production of nickel-based high-temperature alloys and high-strength low-alloy steels.

It mixes well with many different substances, including iron, and is best dissolved in a mixture of hydrofluoric and nitric acids.

One of the uses of niobium in stainless steel is to improve stability when welding or heating, as it can be added to some stainless steels in the form of ferro-niobium. The energy industry often uses niobium alloys in pipeline construction because of their strength. It is also used to improve the strength as well as the impact and erosion resistance of cemented carbides used as cutting tools and hot press molds.

The alloy's strength, heat resistance and relatively low weight make it extremely useful for the aerospace industry. You can find niobium in rocket and jet engines, aircraft gas turbines and other equipment that must have excellent heat resistance. Niobium has been used in many high-profile airframe systems, including those used in the Gemini space program.

Niobium's disadvantage to the aerospace industry is its susceptibility to oxidation. Because of this vulnerability, it must be plated prior to use in many aerospace applications.

As mentioned earlier, niobium is also a superconductor at low temperatures. Because of this quality, it often plays a key role in the manufacture of superconducting magnets used in scientific research. It is used in the form of niobium-zirconium (Nb-Zr) wires, which retain their superconductivity even when exposed to strong magnetic fields. Magnets made with niobium are used in specific reactors, MRI scanners, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy equipment.

Some researchers believe that Nb-Zr wire could one day be useful in large-scale power generation. It could be used to build low-temperature electronic devices with low power consumption.

Niobium's low capture cross section, compatibility with uranium, and resistance to corrosion caused by molten alkali metal coolants make it a useful substance for the nuclear industry. It can be used alone or as an alloy with zirconium in the cladding of nuclear reactor cores.