Niobium, a transition metal, is used in various applications such as alloys for large structures, electronics, and jewelry. It was first discovered in the 19th century and was initially named columbium. Niobium is commonly used in the manufacture of optical lenses and stainless steel products. It is also gaining popularity in jewelry making due to its attractive gray and blue tones and ability to be easily colored.
As one of the chemical elements considered to be transition metals, niobium is used in a number of different applications. From use in alloys ideal for large structures to use in electronics, niobium is found in many places and as part of numerous products. Here is some background on the history of niobium and how the element is used today.
First discovered by Charles Hatchett at the dawn of the 19th century, niobium was isolated from a sample of the mineral that had been sent to England by John Winthrop, the first governor of Connecticut. Granted the name columbium, the element has sometimes been confused with tantalum, which has very similar properties. The designation of the name “niobium” for the element occurred in the 1919, when Heinrich Rose and Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac rediscovered the chemical element and managed to define the specific properties more clearly than had previously been done.
The two names for the element were used interchangeably until 1950, when the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry resolved the proper name issue for atomic number 41. However, there are industries and organizations that continue to identify the element element such as columbium, especially metallurgical associations and their member organizations and individual metallurgists.
Niobium, Nb for short, is a gray looking metal and ideal for use with steel to create an alloy that can be used in a number of products. Blends of steel and niobium have been used in the construction of pipes for water and sewer systems, components in various types of automobiles, and in the creation of welding rods. The element is also great for use in a number of stainless steel products, especially housewares.
One of the most common uses of niobium today is within the manufacture of optical lenses which are intended to compensate for vision problems. Adding niobium to glass has been shown to provide a higher refractive rate, which in turn makes it possible to create thinner and lighter corrective lenses. Along with its use in corrective eyewear, the application of niobium also provides effective lenses that are part of optical testing equipment.
More recently, niobium has begun to gain attention as a metal that can be used in jewelry making. The gray and blue tones of the metal make it an ideal setting for a number of stones, resulting in the creation of attractive ring designs. Since the metal can also be easily colored, it is possible to create a niobium setting that will work with any color stone desired. Along with rings, pendants, earrings and other forms of personal adornment have also been constructed using niobium as one of the metallic compounds.
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