4 Niobium Uses in Different Industries(Need To Know Facts)

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Niobium(Nb) is a chemical element present in the fifth row of the periodic table with a mass number of 92 and atomic number of 41. Let us look what element Niobium offers.

The industrial uses of Nb are as follows:

  • Production of Steel
  • Capacitors and parts of electronic devices
  • Microalloying
  • Superalloys
  • Superconducting materials
  • Metal cutting agents
  • Chemical catalyst

Niobium is a light grey metal having ductile and metal-resistant properties. This article below will see how the properties and uses of Niobium are discussed in potential industries.

Niobium Capacitor Uses

A Niobium capacitor is an electrolytic device that stores the electric charges across two metal plates or terminals within an insulating material. The anode consists of passivated Niobium metal and the cathode is a solid electrolyte residing on a Niobium Pentoxide layer which serves as the insulating cover. The uses are as follows:

  • Electronics:
    • Nb capacitors are required to design electronic circuits to regulate the voltage fluctuations in case of emergencies.
    • Nb capacitors are used to decouple power supplies and AC/DC converters.
  • Circuits:
    • Nb capacitors can smoothen the input and output signals in filter devices also applied in circuits.
    • In appliances requiring low power, Nb capacitors are used.

Due to similar properties and better lifetime, Nb capacitors can replace Tantalum(Ta) capacitors in various sectors.

Niobium Carbide uses

Niobium Carbide(NbC) is one of the densest metal carbides with high corrosion resistance. It is a brownish refractory material that can be used in the following ways:

  • Alloy Industry:
    • Niobium carbide is microalloyed to steel to increase the abrasion resistance of the material due to Niobium’s low solubility.
    • NbC can be used as a tool for cutting metals and wire linings.
    • NbC can be used to design alloys for the even distribution of metals.
  • Casting Industry:
    • On mixing NbC with Molybdenum, the hardness of the matrix increases which can be used in the casting of iron.

Niobium Carbide burns at a high temperature of around 800ºC due to which it can be used in heavy industries.

Niobium Pentoxide uses

In Niobium Pentoxide, the oxidation state of Nb is +5 and is one of the widely known compounds of Niobium. The uses of Nb­2O5 are:

  • Chemistry:
    • Nb2O5 helps in the lab synthesis of Niobium metal.
    • Nb2O5 serves as a valuable nano-sized catalyst to transform biomass into chemical fuels.
  • Ceramics and Optics:
    • Due to its thermal stability, Nb2O5 is applied in ceramic and optic industries.
  • Electronics:
    • Nb2O5 has an exclusive role as a dielectric in electrolytic capacitors that helps in insulation inside the material.

Niobium Pentoxide is a solid that can be produced by a comproportionation in an arc surface.

Niobium Oxide uses

Niobium Oxide is found mainly in monoxide (NbO) and dioxide(NbO2) forms. Both oxides show low solubility in water. The following are the uses:

  • Grains of NbO is required with Nb2O5 to form a dielectric in the electrolytic capacitors.
  • NbO2 is a non-stochiometric reducing agent that can be used to reduce CO­2 and SO2to Carbon and Sulphur respectively.
  • Thin films of NbO2 are applied as switching substances in electromagnetic pulse-based devices.
  • NbO2 has suitable optical and electronic applications in its low temperature phases.

Niobium Oxides exist in cubic lattices and generally both oxides have applications in superconducting materials.

Conclusion

The malleable and soft properties of Niobium are actually observed in its various compounds for which it is an important component in the steel industry. Thus, the superconducting and optical properties of Niobium and its compounds make it a commercially essential element in varied proportions.