Niobium
Niobium (铌, symbol Nb) is chemical element number 41, a Transition Metal in period 5, group 5 of the periodic table, with a standard atomic weight of about 92.906. Soft, gray, ductile transition metal. Used in superconducting magnets and steel alloys.
Properties
| Atomic number | 41 |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Nb |
| Atomic mass | 92.906 u |
| Category | Transition Metal |
| Period | 5 |
| Group | 5 |
| Electron configuration | [Kr] 4d⁴ 5s¹ |
| Electronegativity | 1.6 |
| Covalent radius | 164 pm |
| Density | 8.57 g/cm³ |
| Melting point | 2750 K |
| Boiling point | 5017 K |
| Discovery | Charles Hatchett, 1801 |
Overview
Soft, gray, ductile transition metal. Used in superconducting magnets and steel alloys. Element 41, Niobium (Nb), is a Transition Metal found in period 5, group 5. As a transition metal it commonly shows several oxidation states, forms coloured compounds, and is widely used in catalysts and alloys.
Its electron configuration is [Kr] 4d⁴ 5s¹, with 1 electron in the outer shell, and an electronegativity of about 1.6 (Pauling). Around 25 °C it is usually a solid (a very high melting point); it melts near 2750 K (2476.9 °C), boils near 5017 K (4743.9 °C), has a density around 8.57 g/cm³.
In industry and daily life it turns up in Structural / Alloys and Electronics / Semiconductors. It was first described by Charles Hatchett in 1801.
Electron shells
Electrons per shell: 2 · 8 · 18 · 12 · 1
Main uses
- Structural / Alloys
- Electronics / Semiconductors
Hazard
Compounds containing Niobium
No compounds in this knowledge base contain Niobium yet.
Data sources
Atomic mass uses IUPAC (CIAAW) standard atomic weights; the covalent radius is from Cordero et al. (2008). Verify on the RSC Periodic Table, PubChem and Wikipedia. Educational reference only.