Why is niobium named after Niobe?
Why is niobium named after Niobe?
Niobium is named for the Greek goddess of tears, Niobe, who was the daughter of king Tantalus, according to the Royal Society of Chemistry, due to the element’s similarities to tantalum (named for the king).
Are columbium and niobium the same thing?
Niobium and columbium are synonymous names for the chemical element with atomic number 41; columbium was the name given in 1801, and niobium (Nb) was the name officially designated by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry in 1950.
Is niobium harmful to humans?
Niobium and its compounds may be toxic (niobium dust causes eye and skin irritation) , but there are no reports of human being poisoned by it. Apart from measuring its concentration, no research on niobium in humans has been undertaken. Niobium, when inhaled, is retained mainly in the lungs, and secondarily in bones.
What is tantalum and niobium for?
Niobium and Tantalum are important refractory metals, which are the two elements, have very similar and unique chemical and physical properties allowed them to be used in many heavy industries. Tantalum is a key metal in the current electronics industry.
What is the origin of the element niobium?
Niobium was discovered in 1801 by Charles Hatchett in an ore called columbite sent to England in the 1750s by John Winthrop the Younger, the first goveror of Connecticut, USA. The metal niobium was first prepared in 1864 by Blomstrand, who reduced the chloride by heating it in a hydrogen atmosphere.
Where was niobium first discovered?
Charles Hatchett
Niobium/Discoverers
Niobium was first discovered (1801) in an ore sample from Connecticut by the English chemist Charles Hatchett, who called the element columbium in honour of the country of its origin, Columbia being a synonym for the United States.
Why is niobium called columbium?
Niobium is often found in the minerals pyrochlore and columbite, hence the former name “columbium”. Its name comes from Greek mythology, specifically Niobe, who was the daughter of Tantalus, the namesake of tantalum.
What is the chemical symbol for columbium?
Nb
Niobium/Symbol
Does the human body use niobium?
Niobium alloys are used in items that come into contact with the human body, such as rings for pierced ears, nose, and other body parts. Niobium is used in this kind of jewelry because it does not cause allergies or other problems.
Is niobium safe for piercings?
Is niobium safe for piercings? Yes, niobium makes an excellent metal for body jewelry. Unalloyed niobium is highly biocompatible just like titanium. In fact, it’s included as a metal on the Initial Jewelry Standards published by the Association of Professional Piercers (APP).
What is niobium used for?
Niobium is used in alloys including stainless steel. It improves the strength of the alloys, particularly at low temperatures. Alloys containing niobium are used in jet engines and rockets, beams and girders for buildings and oil rigs, and oil and gas pipelines. This element also has superconducting properties.
Where can I find niobium in the world?
To be included in this data release, a site must have resources and/or past production of niobium metal greater than 10,000 metric tons, which was the approximate consumption of niobium in the U.S. in 2019. Globally, the largest niobium deposits occur in Brazil and Canada.
How is the mining process for niobium done?
In most cases, niobium mining is done using the open-pit method. In order to get the concentration of niobium, it is ground and crushed. Afterwards there’s magnetic separation, desliming, and flotation separation. Magnetic separation is done in order to remove magnetite.
What are the physical characteristics of niobium metal?
Characteristics 1 Physical. Niobium is a lustrous, grey, ductile, paramagnetic metal in group 5 of the periodic table (see table), with an electron configuration in the outermost shells atypical for group 5. 2 Chemical. The metal takes on a bluish tinge when exposed to air at room temperature for extended periods. 3 Isotopes.
Which is the second largest producer of niobium?
The city with the largest deposit of niobium is called Araxá. It is located in the Minas Gerais state where CBMM’s headquarters is also situated. The niobium in Canada is owned by a company called IAMGOLD. The country is the second largest producer of this rare metal at 4,167 metric tons per annum.