NIOBIUM is a very rare, pure metal which is one of the natural elements on the periodic table {#41}. Titanium and Tantalum are other metals that are similar to Niobium, all are in general use as jewellery materials.
Niobium is good for people who are allergic
or sensitive to other metals
or sensitive to other metals
It is slightly more expensive than Sterling Silver, to buy in sheet, wire and tubing form.
Niobium's unique properties include:
- hypoallergenic
- light-refractive
- very strong
- light weight
Niobium, a soft, shiny, white metal, is also known as columbium since it was originally discovered in a mineral named columbite. Like tantalum, niobium resists corrosion and maintains good physical properties at high temperatures but offers other outstanding attributes. Although frequently found in the same minerals as tantalum, niobium is more plentiful in nature. Over 50 million pounds of niobium products are produced each year. The largest market for niobium (85%) is in high-strength, low-alloy steel production where it brings high temperature strength and corrosion resistance to gas pipelines, automobile components and structural steel. Smaller volumes of niobium are used in superalloys with nickel, cobalt and iron for jet aircraft engine and power generation turbine blades. Specialty niobium alloys are used in superconducting magnets and cable for applications including magnetic resonance imaging for medical diagnostics and particle accelerators for physics research, and in high intensity, sodium vapor lighting applications. Niobium oxide improves the refractive index of optical glass, allowing for thinner and lighter lenses, advanced optics, camera lenses, and eyeglasses. Niobium and niobium oxides are also emerging as a dielectric material for electronic capacitors.
HISTORY
Niobium was first discovered in 1801 by Charles Hatchett in England, the pure metal was refined in 1861. Niobium's natural colour before anodizing is nickel-grey. It has a melting point of 2467°C {4475°F} and therefore can't be soldered, it can only be fusion welded. The economically most important deposits are in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Thailand, Malaysia and China. In addition there are exploited deposits in Western and Central African countries, CIS countries, Central and South America, Burma and Europe, although Germany (Kaisershuhl), Norway and Finland are interesting from a purely mineralogical point of view.
source: http://www.karenhunterjewellery.com/about.html
niobium jewelry wire
