The powder is the basis of compacted niobium and other types of products: niobium sheets, rods, etc. This semi-finished product is used for making components of complex shape with powder metallurgy methods. The main application are metallurgy and science-driven industries.
Metotechnics offers niobium powder. It can be ordered on the Prices page on our website, via e-mail or by phone.
See the corresponding sections of this page for the grades, production methods and applications of the above-mentioned products.
Grades
The products are made of pure Nb of NbPM grade. Niobium (Nb) с процентным содержанием - 98.66%. is the main component with percentage 98.66%. If compared with niobium foil and sheets, powder has a higher admixture weight per cent. Thus, oxygen (O) is the most significant admixture (0.6%). Other admixtures include carbon (C) - 0.3%; tantalum (Ta) - 0.2%; nitrogen (N), iron (Fe) - 0.1%; silicon (Si) - 0.03%, titanium (Ti) - 0.01%.
The chemical composition and marking of the considered products are given in TC 48-4-552-92 standard.
Production
Niobium and tantalum powders are made by reduction. Compounds that serve as raw materials for the above-mentioned products are also similar - niobium oxides and halides. Among certain compounds such as niobium oxide (Nb2O5), complex fluorides (K2NbF7)and niobium pentachloride (NbCl5) can be mentioned. The reducing reagent reacts with the non-metal component and the metal is obtained in pure form. Carbon (C) or aluminum (Al) is used for reducing oxides, sodium (Na) is used for reducing fluorides, magnesium (Mg) or hydrogen (H) are used for reducing chlorides so as in the case with producing tantalum powder..
Electrolytic reduction is another important industrial method of obtaining niobium powder. In this process the metal is obtained from salt exposed to the current passing through liquid electrolyte. Electrolytes can be classified into 2 groups by composition:
oxygenless fluoride-chloride or chloride with complex fluorides (K2NbF7) or pentachlorides (NbCl5);
oxyfluoride-chlorine based on the salt mixture made of K2NbF7 and potassium or sodium fluorides or chloride with Nb2O5 oxides.
The particle sizes, bulk density, supply conditions and other technological properties of the products are given in TC 48-4-552-92 regulatory documents.
Very often niobium powder with fine grains is called dust.
Application
The main applications of niobium powder include:
production of compacted niobium;
steel alloying and alloy building;
condenser production.
In the first case Nb is produced in form of billets of limited size baked of powder. In the second case niobium powder is added to alloys and steel for improving their properties. In the third one the products are used for making components of capacitors with porous anode. They have worse properties than tantalum ones, but are much cheaper.
Prices
See the Prices pagefor the cost of niobium powder and available grades.