Niobium Element Information

A metallic element. Niobium absorbs gases, is used as a degassing agent and is a good superconductor. Old name "columbium". Chemical symbol Nb, atomic number 41, atomic weight 92.90638, belongs to the Periodic System V B. In 1801, the British Charles-Hatchett (Charles-Hatchett) in the study of the British Museum in London in the collection of columbite in the separation of a new element of the oxide, and named the element for columbium (the Chinese translation of columbium). 1802 Sweden A.G. Ökberg in the tantalite in the Swedish A.G. Ökberg in the columbite, and named the element for the columbium. In 1802, A.G. Ökberg of Sweden discovered another new element, tantalum, in tantalite, and because the two elements were so similar in nature, many people thought they were the same element. As it was so similar to tantalum, he was initially confused, and the truth was clarified in 1844 when Deutsche H. Roeser studied many columbite and tantalite ores in detail and separated the two elements. Finally Charles Hatchett named the element after the mythical goddess Niobe. Historically, Niobium was originally called "columbium" after the columbite ore in which it is found. The content of niobium in the earth's crust is 0.002%, the natural reserves of niobium in the earth's crust are 5.2 million tons, and the mineable reserves are 4.4 million tons, the main minerals are columbite, burnt chrysocolla and black spodumene, brown yttrium niobium, tantalumite, titanium-niobium-calcium cerussite.