INTRODUCTION
Niobium is a steel-gray, lustrous, ductile, and malleable metallic element.The element was named after Niobe, the daughter of Tantalus in Greek mythology.It ranks about 32nd in natural abundance among the elements in crustal rock.
Niobium burns when heated in air and combines with nitrogen, hydrogen, and the halogens. It resists the actions of most acids.
BASIC INFORMATIONS
- Atomic Number
- 41
- Atomic Mass
- 92.90637
- Atomic radius
- 0.134
- Ionization energy
- 664
- Electronic config
- 2,8,18,12,1
- Principal Valency
- +1
- Density g/cm³
- 8.57
- Melting point °C
- 2477
- Boiling point °C
- 4744
- Type of Element
- Metal
- Electronegativity
- 1.6
- Element Category
- Vanadium Group
- Appearance
- Steel-gray solid
- Block
- d-block
- Period
- 5
- Group
- 5
- No of Isotopes
- 33
- Occurrence
- Combine form
- Abundance in ppm
- 20
- Year of Discovery
- 1801
EXTRACTION
It is extracted by electrolysis or chemical reduction
OXIDATION STATES
+5,+4,+3,+2,-1 (Mildly acidic)
MAJOR SOURCE
Columbite, Tantalite, Pyrochlorite
EXAMPLES OF COMPOUND PRESENT
Niobium pentafluoride, Niobium pentachloride
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
* It is mostly used as an alloying element in stainless steel, to which it lends additional corrosion resistance, particularly at high temperatures.
* Niobium is useful as a construction material in nuclear power plants.
* Its alloy is used to make wire for very powerful electromagnets.