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Niobium is generally used to make alloys, and its most important application is in special steels, such as natural gas transportation pipeline materials. Although the niobium content of these alloys will not exceed 0.1%, adding a small amount of niobium can strengthen the steel. High-temperature alloys containing niobium are very useful in making jet and rocket engines due to their high-temperature stability.

Niobium is an alloy component of Type II superconductors. These superconductors also contain titanium and tin and are widely used as superconducting magnets in MRI scanners. Niobium has low toxicity and is easily colored by anodizing, so it is used in coins and jewelry. Other applications of niobium include welding, nuclear industry, electronics and optics.

High temperature alloy
A large proportion of the world’s niobium is used in the production of nickel, chromium and iron-based high-temperature alloys, either in pure metallic form or in the form of high-purity ferroniobium and niobium-nickel alloys. These alloys are used in jet engines, gas turbine engines, rocket components, turbochargers and refractory combustion equipment. Niobium forms a gamma phase in the grain structure of superalloys.

Such alloys typically contain up to 6.5% niobium. Inconel718 alloy is one of the niobium-containing nickel-based alloys. The content of each element is: 50% nickel, 18.6% chromium, 18.5% iron, 5% niobium, 3.1% molybdenum, 0.9% titanium and 0.4% aluminum. Applications include use as a high-end airframe material, such as that used in the Gemini program.

Niobium-based alloy
C-103 is a niobium alloy that contains 89% niobium, 10% hafnium and 1% titanium and can be used in liquid rocket thruster nozzles, such as the main engines of the Apollo lunar module. The Apollo Service Module used another niobium alloy. Since niobium begins to oxidize above 400°C, a protective coating must be applied to its surface to prevent it from becoming brittle.

Medical applications
Niobium rods also play an important role in surgical treatment. They can not only be used to make medical devices, but are also good “bioadaptable materials” because they have excellent corrosion resistance and will not interact with various substances in the human body. The liquid substance acts and almost does not damage the biological tissue. It can adapt to any sterilization method, so it can be combined with organic tissue for a long time and remain harmlessly in the human body.

Steel production
Niobium is an excellent additive element in the production of microalloyed steel. Adding niobium to steel will form niobium carbide and niobium nitride in the steel structure.
These substances can make the steel grains more fine, slow down the recrystallization process, and enhance the precipitation hardening of the steel. The steel thus formed has high hardness, strength, forgeability and weldability. The niobium content of microalloyed stainless steel is less than 0.1%. Niobium is added to the production of high-strength low-alloy steels used in structural parts of automobiles. Niobium-containing alloys are also used in transportation pipelines.

Electric porcelain
Lithium niobate is an electroferroic substance that is widely used in mobile phones and light modulators, as well as in the manufacture of surface acoustic wave devices. Its crystal structure belongs to the ABO3 type, which is the same as lithium tantalate and barium titanate. Niobium can replace tantalum in tantalum capacitors and reduce costs, but tantalum capacitors are still superior.