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The processing of niobium wire involves a series of complex process steps that ensure excellent physical and chemical properties of its final product. Niobium wire is widely used in superconducting materials, aerospace, electronic components and medical devices. The following are the main steps and points of niobium wire processing:

Raw material preparation:
Niobium ingots: Select high purity niobium ingots as raw materials. The purity of niobium is usually above 99.9%.
Heat treatment: Initial heat treatment of niobium ingot to improve its plasticity and processing properties.

Hot extrusion:
The ingots are heated to the appropriate temperature and squeezed into coarser niobium rods by a hot extruder. Hot extrusion helps to reduce defects in the material and improve its uniformity.

Initial stretching:
The niobium rod was initially stretched after hot extrusion, and its diameter was reduced and its length was increased by several stretches. The drawing rate and temperature need to be controlled during the drawing process to avoid cracking or other defects in the material.

Intermediate annealing:
After initial stretching, the niobium material develops work hardening. In order to restore its plasticity, it is necessary to undergo intermediate annealing. Annealing is the heating of niobium to recrystallization temperature under the protection of an inert gas, eliminating the work hardening effect.

Fine stretching:
The niobium rods are further fine-stretched after intermediate annealing. The niobium wire is gradually stretched to the desired fineness. In the drawing process, the process parameters need to be strictly controlled to ensure the uniformity and surface quality of niobium wire.

Final annealing:
After reaching the desired diameter, the final annealing treatment is carried out to further improve the mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of the niobium wire. The final annealing is usually carried out in a vacuum or inert gas environment to avoid oxidation.
Surface treatment:
The surface treatment of niobium wire includes chemical cleaning, electrolytic polishing or mechanical polishing to remove surface oxides and impurities and obtain a smooth surface.
Quality inspection:
The diameter, mechanical properties, surface quality and purity of niobium wire are strictly tested with microscopes, thickness gauges, tensile testing machines and other equipment to ensure that it meets the specifications.

Cutting and packaging:
According to customer requirements, niobium wire is cut to the required length and packed with anti-oxidation and moisture-proof to ensure that it is not damaged during transportation and storage.
The key to processing niobium wire is the strict control of each process step, including the accurate management of temperature, drawing rate, annealing time and other parameters. These steps ensure that niobium wire has excellent mechanical properties and surface quality to meet the needs of a variety of demanding applications.