Niobium is generally used to make alloys, and Z is important for special steel materials, such as natural gas transportation pipeline materials. Although the niobium content of these alloys does not exceed 0.1%, adding a small amount of niobium can achieve the effect of strengthening the steel. High temperature alloys containing niobium have high temperature stability and are very useful for manufacturing jet and rocket engines.

Niobium is an alloy component of Class II superconductors. These superconductors also contain titanium and tin, which are widely used in nuclear magnetic resonance imaging scanners as superconducting magnet. Niobium has low toxicity and is easy to color with anodizing treatment, so it is used in coins and jewelry. Other applications of niobium include welding, nuclear industry, electronics and optics.

1. High-temperature alloy

A large portion of niobium in the world is used in the production of nickel, chromium, and iron based high-temperature alloys in pure metallic form or in the form of high-purity niobium iron and niobium nickel alloys. These alloys can be used in jet engines, gas turbine engines, rocket components, turbochargers, and heat-resistant combustion equipment. Niobium forms in the grain structure of high-temperature alloys γ Phase state.

This type of alloy generally contains niobium 6.5% higher than Z. Inconel718 alloy is one of the nickel based alloys containing niobium, with element contents of nickel 50%, chromium 18.6%, iron 18.5%, niobium 5%, molybdenum 3.1%, titanium 0.9%, and aluminum 0.4%. Applications include being used as high-end airframe materials, such as the Project Gemini.

2. Niobium based alloy

C-103 is a niobium alloy, which contains 89% niobium, 10% hafnium and 1% titanium, and can be used for liquid rocket thruster nozzles, such as the main engine of the Apollo Lunar Module. Apollo service module uses another niobium alloy. Due to niobium starting to oxidize above 400 ° C, it is necessary to apply a protective coating on its surface to prevent it from becoming brittle.

3. Medical applications

Niobium also holds an important position in surgical medicine. It can not only be used to manufacture medical devices, but also is a good "biocompatible material" because it has excellent corrosion resistance, does not react with various liquid substances in the human body, and almost completely does not damage the biological body tissue. It can adapt to any sterilization method, so it can combine with organic tissues for a long time and remain harmless in the human body.

4. Steel production

Niobium is an excellent additive element in the production process of microalloyed steel. Adding niobium to steel will form niobium carbide and niobium nitride in steel structure.

These substances can refine the grain size of steel, slow down the recrystallization process, and enhance the deposition hardening of steel. The steel formed in this way has high hardness, strength, malleability, and weldability. The niobium content of microalloyed stainless steel is below 0.1%. The production of high-strength low alloy steel requires the addition of niobium, which is used in structural parts of automobiles. Niobium containing alloys are also used in transportation pipelines.

5. Electric porcelain

Lithium niobate is a kind of ferroelectric material, which is widely used in mobile phones, light modulators and surface acoustic wave equipment manufacturing. Its crystal structure belongs to ABO3 type, which is the same as lithium tantalate and barium titanate. Niobium can replace tantalum in tantalum capacitors, reducing costs, but tantalum capacitors are still relatively superior.