The history of niobium is closely linked with another metal — tantalum. Back in the first half of the 17th century, near the Columbia River in the northwest of North America, a previously unknown heavy mineral was found, on whose black surface golden-colored veins were clearly visible. It was delivered to England and until the end of the 18th century was kept in the main historical and archaeological museum of the British Empire under the name “iron ore.” Only at the beginning of the 19th century did it fall into the hands of London chemist Charles Hatchett, who, on commission from the British Museum, analyzed the sample found in America. The scientist gave the new mineral the name “columbite,” and the metallic oxide obtained from it — “columbium,” in honor of the region from which the sample was delivered.
A year later (in 1802) mineralogist Anders Gustaf Ekeberg from Sweden discovered another chemical element in the same ore found in North America and named it tantalum. Because tantalum and columbium were obtained from the same sample, scientists for several decades considered them one and the same metal. Only in 1844 did German analytical chemist Heinrich Rose, during experiments, isolate from columbite two different kinds of metallic oxides with similar properties. One of them was the previously known tantalum, and the second was a new chemical element that the German mineralogist named niobium in honor of Niobe, daughter of the ancient Greek king Tantalus.
Disputes about the correct name of the chemical element continued for a long time. In the United States of America and Great Britain Nb continued to be called columbium; in other countries it began to be called niobium. Chemists’ disagreements were resolved in 1950 by scientists from IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry). They gave the chemical element, as well as the metal itself, the official name Niobium, and for the mineral from which it was obtained they fixed the already used name — columbite.
The Earth’s crust contains only 0.002% niobium, but it does not occur in free form. Pure metal can be isolated only from minerals, and from the same ones mined to obtain tantalum. Participation in common geological processes and similarity of physical-chemical properties tightly bound these two metals together.
According to geologists’ estimates, world reserves of ore containing niobium total only 16 million tonnes. Almost 70% of ore deposits are in Brazil: the local metallurgical and mining company CBMM (Companhia Brasileira de Metalurgia e Mineração) today is the world’s largest supplier of niobium. It provides almost 80% of total world consumption of this rare-earth metal.
In Russia, about 20–25% of the world’s niobium reserves are located in Eastern Siberia and the Far East. Mining and purification of ore in these territories is carried out by Lovozero GOK. Niobium oxide is also produced by SMZ (Solikamsk Magnesium Plant), processing loparite concentrate (obtained from ores mined by the Lovozero mining and processing plant) to obtain it.
Most of the mined niobium goes into producing various steels, including precision steels. By adding Nb the following alloy properties are improved:
Niobium, along with molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), and tantalum (Ta), is part of the so-called “big four” of the most promising metals used in aircraft and rocket building. In addition, Nb has a low artificial radioactivity indicator, which makes it suitable for manufacturing containers for transporting and storing radioactive waste.
Niobium is widely used in radio electronics and microprocessor technology. Capacitors are made from it, as from tantalum. In their characteristics they are somewhat inferior to tantalum ones, but they cost significantly less and also have greater reliability and fire resistance.
According to analysts’ estimates, demand for niobium, as well as its cost, will grow continuously. This is driven by development of thermonuclear energy, in particular construction of new nuclear reactors, for whose production Nb is one of the mandatory components.
If you want to obtain a piece of niobium, you do not necessarily need to look for parts of nuclear reactors or spacecraft. Mints of some countries issue commemorative currency with niobium. Such collectible coins are produced in Australia, Canada, Luxembourg, Liberia, Latvia, and a number of other countries.
