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| A soft, shiny grey metal which is protected from tarnishing by a thin oxide layer. Widely used to produce special alloys.
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Small cylinders.
These small cylinders were made as prototypes for a project - which may yet see the light of day - to produce a collection of entirely safe elements. Niobium - which is often called by its old name columbium in the USA - is highly compatible with living tissues and so is often included in alloys for artificial body parts. It is also, in combination with zirconium, one of the few strong materials that is resistant to liquid alkali metals which means that niobium is used in the nuclear industry as piping to carry liquid sodium for cooling fast breeder reactors.
Source: specially manufactured
Size: 0.5"
Purity: 99.9%
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Coin.
This pure niobium coin is a commemorative issued as part of a series by Wah Chang, a major refiner of niobium metal. Just showing off, really.
Source: Wah Chang
Size: 1.5"
Purity: 99.9%
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Nose ring.
Niobium is one of several unusual metals (others are tantalum and zirconium) that have found favour with the designers of body-piercing jewelry. Two properties give it an advantage in this application. First is it non-toxic and corrosion resistant. Secondly it can be persuaded to oxidize in rather a beautiful way, through the build-up of repeating layers of oxide which refract the light to produce subtle iridescent colors.
Source: eBay
Size: 0.75"
Purity: n/a
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