Aerospace industry---The aerospace industry is the main application area of high purity niobium, mainly used in the production of rockets, spacecraft engines and heat-resistant components. The thermal strength alloys of niobium and tantalum have good thermal strength, thermal resistance and processing properties, and are widely used in the manufacture of aircraft engine parts and gas turbine blades. In the United States almost all jet fighter engine thermal components are made of niobium alloy.
Niobium has good thermal conductivity, high melting point, good corrosion resistance, and low neutron capture cross section, so it is a very suitable material for nuclear reactors. The main uses of niobium in the atomic energy industry include: cladding material for nuclear fuel, alloy for nuclear fuel, structural material for heat exchangers in nuclear reactors.
Electronics industry---Niobium ceramics can be used to make capacitors, lithium niobate, potassium niobate and other compound single crystal is a new type of optoelectronics and electronics crystals, with good piezoelectric, thermoelectric and optical properties, is widely used in infrared, laser technology and electronics industry. In addition, niobium has a high melting point, a strong ability to emit electrons, and has the ability to inhale, which can be used to make electronic tubes and other electric vacuum devices.
In the medical field, niobium has good physiological corrosion resistance and biocompatibility, does not interact with various liquid substances in the human body, and almost does not damage the body tissues of organisms, and can adapt to any sterilization method, so it is often used in the manufacture of bone plates, skull plate bone screws, dental implants, surgical tools and so on.
In the chemical industry, niobium is a high-quality acid and liquid metal corrosion resistant material, can be used to make digesters, heaters, coolers and so on. In addition, niobic acid is also an important catalyst.
Niobium is also applied to the casting industry, its main role is to form a hard carbide (good for wear) and change the shape and size of the graphite sheet, so it is often used in the manufacture of automotive cylinder heads, piston rings and brake pads. In addition, niobium is sometimes used in commemorative coins along with gold and silver.
Niobium can also be applied to the lighting industry, such as niobium 1% zirconium alloyniobium 1% zirconium alloy can be used to make high-efficiency high-strength sodium vapor street lamp precision bracket, so that these small parts have high thermal strength, excellent formability and sodium vapor corrosion resistance.
