Chemical element Niobium

Brazil is the leading producer of niobium and ferroniobium, an alloy of niobium and iron.Niobium is used in various superconducting materials.The fluorides of niobium can be used after its separation from tantalum.Niobium sulfide as well as a few interstitial compounds of niobium with silicon are also known.The free element is not found in nature, but it does occur in minerals.With this method niobium with a relatively high purity can be obtained.The ferroniobium contains between 60 and 70% of niobium.Without addition of iron oxide, aluminothermic process is used for the production of niobium.Niobium precipitates a hardening ?''-phase within the grain structure of the superalloy.The alloys contain up to 6.5% niobium.