Niobium

In 1801, English chemist Charles Hatchett discovered niobium in a mineral sample he received from the United States. He originally named it columbium after Columbia, a term used for the US (think Washington D.C.—district of Columbia).

Because the element's properties were so similar to tantalum (directly below it on the periodic table), many scientists questioned if it was actually a new element. Between 1864 and 1866, various European chemists (Christian Wilhelm Blomstrand, Henri Étienne Sainte-Claire Deville, and Louis J. Troost) clarified the differences, proving definitively that these were two unique elements, with Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac being the first to isolate the element in its pure form.

In 1864, German chemist Heinrich Rose named element 41 after Greek mythology's Niobe, daughter of Tantalus (tantalum's namesake) given the elements' similar properties. In 1949, the name niobium was selected as the element’s official name and was adopted by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) in 1950.

Niobium is a crystalline, solid that is ductile (easily stretched without breaking) and hard. It is a shiny, white metal at room temperature and is slow to oxidize. But niobium can form a blue film when exposed to room temperature air.

Niobium is primarily used in steel production, where it is added to increase steel's strength and make it easier to weld.

To a lesser extent, niobium alloys are used for space applications, particle accelerators, and electromagnetic radiation detectors. Even though these applications only represent 10% of niobium's use, they still use a massive amount of the element. For example, together the Large Hadron Collider and the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor rely on over 1500 tonnes of niobium-alloy superconducting wires to operate.

Since it is hypoallergenic (being unlikely to cause an allergic reaction), niobium is also used for jewelry, optical lenses, and other medical applications.

Niobium is primarily found in the mineral columbite. Brazil and Canada are the top producers of columbite, but the mineral is also found across the globe in Australia and Nigeria.