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The mineralogy of Niobium

General Properties
Symbol:	Nb
Commodity pages:	Niobium (Columbium)
Atomic Number:	41
Standard atomic weight (A_r):	92.90638(2)
Electron configuration:	[Kr] 4d⁴ 5s¹

Photos

<	Niobium crystals	>

Atomic Properties
Electronegativity (Pauling scale):	1.6
Atomic Radius:	198 pm
Ionic Radius:	72 pm (+3)
1st Ionization energy:	652 kJ/mol
1st Electron affinity:	-86 kJ/mol
Oxidation States:	-1,2,3,4,5

Physical Properties
Standard State:	solid
Bonding Type:	metallic
Melting Point:	2750 K
Boiling Point:	5017 K
Density:	8.57 g/cm³
Metal/Non-Metal:	transition metal

Main isotopes of Niobium
Isotope	% in Nature	Half Life	Decay type	Decay product
⁹⁰Nb	synthetic	14.6h	β+	⁹⁰Zr
⁹¹Nb	synthetic	680y	ε	⁹¹Zr
^91mNb	synthetic	60.86d	Isomeric transition	⁹¹Nb
⁹²Nb	synthetic	3.47×10⁷y	ε	⁹²Zr
^92m1Nb	synthetic	10.15d	ε	⁹²Zr
⁹³Nb	100%	-	Spontaneous fission ?
^93mNb	synthetic	16.13y	Isomeric transition	⁹³Nb
⁹⁴Nb	synthetic	20,300y	β−	⁹⁴Mo
⁹⁵Nb	synthetic	34.991d	β−	⁹⁵Mo
^95mNb	synthetic	3.61d	Isomeric transition	⁹⁵Nb
⁹⁶Nb	synthetic	23.4h	β−	⁹⁶Mo

Other Information
Year Discovered:	1801
Discovered By:	Charles Hatchett
Recognised as an element:	1844
Recognised By:	Heinrich Rose
Year Isolated:	1864
Isolated By:	Christian Wilhelm Blomstrand
Named For:	Niobe in Greek mythology
CPK color coding:	#73C2C9
External Links:	Wikipedia WebElements Los Alamos National Laboratory Theodore Gray's PeriodicTable.com

Simple Compounds
Nitrides	niobium nitride	NbN	+3
Sulfides	niobium disulphide	NbS₂	+4
Selenides	niobium diselenide	NbSe₂	+4
Tellurides	niobium ditelluride	NbTe₂	+4
Fluorides	niobium trifluoride	NbF₃	+3
	niobium tetrafluoride	NbF₄	+4
	niobium pentafluoride tetramer	[NbF₅]₄	+5
Chlorides	niobium trichloride	NbCl₃	+3
	niobium tetrachloride	NbCl₄	+4
	niobium pentachloride	NbCl₅	+5
Bromides	niobium tetrabromide	NbBr₄	+4
Bromides	niobium pentabromide	NbBr₅	+5
Iodides	niobium triiodide	NbI₃	+3
	niobium tetraiodide	NbI₄	+4
	niobium pentaiodide	NbI₅	+5
Oxides	niobium oxide	NbO	+4
	niobium dioxide	NbO₂	+4
	diniobium pentaoxide	Nb₂O₅	+5

Mineral Diversity of Niobium
1. Elements	1 valid mineral species
2. Sulfides And Sulfosalts	2 valid mineral species
4. Oxides	74 valid mineral species
6. Borates	1 valid mineral species
7. Sulfates	5 valid mineral species
8. Phosphates, Arsenates, Vanadates	2 valid mineral species
9. Silicates	47 valid mineral species
Total:	132 valid species containing essential Niobium

Minerals with the greatest weight % of Niobium
Niobocarbide	(Nb,Ta)C	88.55 %
Nioboixiolite-([])	(Nb_0.8◻_0.2)⁴⁺O₂	69.90 %
Ternovite	(Mg,Ca)Nb₄O₁₁·nH₂O	62.99 %
Hydroxykenopyrochlore	(◻,Ce,Ba)₂(Nb,Ti)₂O₆(OH,F)	62.18 %
Hydrokenopyrochlore	(◻,x)₂Nb₂O₆(H₂O,Cs)	61.97 %
Columbite-(Mg)	(Mg,Fe,Mn)(Nb,Ta)₂O₆	60.70 %
Fersmite	CaNb₂O₆	57.73 %
Vigezzite	CaNb₂O₆	57.73 %
Natroniobite	NaNbO₃	56.69 %
Pauloabibite	NaNbO₃	56.69 %

Geochemistry of Niobium
Goldschmidt classification:	Lithophile
Nb⁵⁺ is commonly concentrated in residual soils and sediments.

Elemental Abundance for Niobium
Crust (CRC Handbook)	2.0 x 10^-5	mass fraction, kg/kg
Crust (Kaye & Laby)	2.0 x 10^-5	mass fraction, kg/kg
Crust (Greenwood)	2.0 x 10^-5	mass fraction, kg/kg
Crust (Ahrens/Taylor)	1.1000 x 10^-5	mass fraction, kg/kg
Crust (Ahrens/Weaver)	1.3000 x 10^-5	mass fraction, kg/kg
Upper Crust (Ahrens/Taylor)	2.5000 x 10^-5	mass fraction, kg/kg
Upper Crust (Ahrens/Shaw)	2.6000 x 10^-5	mass fraction, kg/kg
Sea Water (CRC Handbook)	1 x 10^-11	mass per volume fraction, kg/L
Sea Water (Kaye & Laby)	1.5 x 10^-11	mass per volume fraction, kg/L
The Sun (Kaye & Laby)	7.0 x 10^-7	atom mole fraction relative to Si=1
Solar System (Kaye & Laby)	7.0 x 10^-7	atom mole fraction relative to Si=1
Solar System (Ahrens)	6.98 x 10^-7 (1.4%)	atom mole fraction relative to Si=1 (% uncertainty)

Element association of Niobium in the Mineral World
This table compares the known valid mineral species listed listed with Niobium and the other elements listed based on the official IMA formula. Note that unlike other sections on this page this includes non-essential elements. The first data column contains the total number of minerals listed with Niobium and the element listed for that row. The second data column lists this number as a percentage of all minerals listed with Niobium. The final data column compares this percentage against the percentage of all minerals that contain the element listed in each row. Click on a heading to sort.

Element	Valid Minerals listed with element and Niobium	% of Nb minerals	Relative to % in all minerals
Oxygen	189 minerals with Nb and O	98.44%	21.35% higher
Hydrogen	107 minerals with Nb and H	55.73%	0.21% higher
Titanium	91 minerals with Nb and Ti	47.40%	574.39% higher
Silicon	90 minerals with Nb and Si	46.88%	70.15% higher
Sodium	77 minerals with Nb and Na	40.10%	114.97% higher
Calcium	63 minerals with Nb and Ca	32.81%	31.80% higher
Iron	55 minerals with Nb and Fe	28.65%	27.68% higher
Potassium	45 minerals with Nb and K	23.44%	135.44% higher
Manganese	41 minerals with Nb and Mn	21.35%	83.91% higher
Fluorine	30 minerals with Nb and F	15.63%	98.28% higher
Barium	28 minerals with Nb and Ba	14.58%	213.77% higher
Tantalum	27 minerals with Nb and Ta	14.06%	1,131.56% higher
Zirconium	21 minerals with Nb and Zr	10.94%	353.40% higher
Yttrium	16 minerals with Nb and Y	8.33%	252.49% higher
Cerium	16 minerals with Nb and Ce	8.33%	169.88% higher
Uranium	14 minerals with Nb and U	7.29%	41.69% higher
Strontium	13 minerals with Nb and Sr	6.77%	143.36% higher
Magnesium	13 minerals with Nb and Mg	6.77%	49.21% lower
Chlorine	11 minerals with Nb and Cl	5.73%	22.39% lower
Aluminium	9 minerals with Nb and Al	4.69%	76.44% lower
Phosphorus	6 minerals with Nb and P	3.13%	74.57% lower
Zinc	6 minerals with Nb and Zn	3.13%	44.48% lower
Carbon	6 minerals with Nb and C	3.13%	61.75% lower
Tungsten	5 minerals with Nb and W	2.60%	189.16% higher
Lead	5 minerals with Nb and Pb	2.60%	75.98% lower
Thorium	5 minerals with Nb and Th	2.60%	294.94% higher
Sulfur	4 minerals with Nb and S	2.08%	90.56% lower
Boron	4 minerals with Nb and B	2.08%	58.35% lower
Molybdenum	3 minerals with Nb and Mo	1.56%	0.86% lower
Lanthanum	3 minerals with Nb and La	1.56%	14.30% higher
Neodymium	3 minerals with Nb and Nd	1.56%	83.31% higher
Scandium	2 minerals with Nb and Sc	1.04%	139.89% higher
Arsenic	2 minerals with Nb and As	1.04%	91.98% lower
Caesium	2 minerals with Nb and Cs	1.04%	96.28% higher
Antimony	2 minerals with Nb and Sb	1.04%	81.81% lower
Vanadium	1 mineral with Nb and V	0.52%	89.17% lower
Chromium	1 mineral with Nb and Cr	0.52%	72.32% lower
Bismuth	1 mineral with Nb and Bi	0.52%	87.59% lower
Tin	1 mineral with Nb and Sn	0.52%	71.59% lower
Ytterbium	1 mineral with Nb and Yb	0.52%	439.76% higher

Periodic Table

2He

3Li

4Be

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Default Categories CPK Electronegativity Atomic Radius Lowest Oxidation Highest Oxidation Crustal Abundance Goldschmidt Mineral Species Minerals with Nb Relative Frequency

Zirconium << Niobium >> Molybdenum

Most widespread minerals containing Niobium
This list of minerals containing Niobium is built from the mindat.org locality database. This is based on the number of localities entered for mineral species and is therefore slanted towards minerals interesting to collectors with less coverage of common rock-forming-minerals so it does not give an undistorted distribution of Niobium mineral species. It is more useful when comparing rare species rather than common species.

Most widespread minerals containing Niobium

This list of minerals containing Niobium is built from the mindat.org locality database. This is based on the number of localities entered for mineral species and is therefore slanted towards minerals interesting to collectors with less coverage of common rock-forming-minerals so it does not give an undistorted distribution of Niobium mineral species. It is more useful when comparing rare species rather than common species.

Name	Formula	Crystal System	Mindat Localities
Columbite-(Fe)	Fe²⁺Nb₂O₆	Orthorhombic	656
Euxenite-(Y)	(Y,Ca,Ce,U,Th)(Nb,Ta,Ti)₂O₆	Orthorhombic	631
Samarskite-(Y)	YFe³⁺Nb₂O₈	Monoclinic	411
Columbite-(Mn)	Mn²⁺Nb₂O₆	Orthorhombic	385
Fergusonite-(Y)	YNbO₄	Tetragonal	251
Aeschynite-(Y)	Y(TiNb)O₆	Orthorhombic	191
Wöhlerite	Na₂Ca₄ZrNb(Si₂O₇)₂O₃F	Monoclinic	141
Fersmite	CaNb₂O₆	Orthorhombic	132
Aeschynite-(Ce)	Ce(TiNb)O₆	Orthorhombic	67
Fluorcalciopyrochlore	(Ca,Na)₂(Nb,Ti)₂O₆F	Isometric	38

Photos
Columbite-(Fe) Ivigtut Mine, Ivigtut stock, Arsuk Fjord, Sermersooq, Greenland Euxenite-(Y) Håverstad, Iveland, Agder, Norway Samarskite-(Y), etc. Spinelli prospect, Glastonbury, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA Columbite-(Mn) Topsham, Sagadahoc County, Maine, USA Columbite-(Fe) Ivigtut Mine, Ivigtut stock, Arsuk Fjord, Sermersooq, Greenland Euxenite-(Y) Håverstad, Iveland, Agder, Norway Samarskite-(Y), etc. Spinelli prospect, Glastonbury, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA Columbite-(Mn) Topsham, Sagadahoc County, Maine, USA Columbite-(Fe) Ivigtut Mine, Ivigtut stock, Arsuk Fjord, Sermersooq, Greenland Euxenite-(Y) Håverstad, Iveland, Agder, Norway Samarskite-(Y), etc. Spinelli prospect, Glastonbury, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA Columbite-(Mn) Topsham, Sagadahoc County, Maine, USA

Photos

Columbite-(Fe)

Ivigtut Mine, Ivigtut stock, Arsuk Fjord, Sermersooq, Greenland

Euxenite-(Y)

Håverstad, Iveland, Agder, Norway

Samarskite-(Y), etc.

Spinelli prospect, Glastonbury, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA

Columbite-(Mn)

Topsham, Sagadahoc County, Maine, USA

Columbite-(Fe)

Ivigtut Mine, Ivigtut stock, Arsuk Fjord, Sermersooq, Greenland

Euxenite-(Y)

Håverstad, Iveland, Agder, Norway

Samarskite-(Y), etc.

Spinelli prospect, Glastonbury, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA

Columbite-(Mn)

Topsham, Sagadahoc County, Maine, USA

Columbite-(Fe)

Ivigtut Mine, Ivigtut stock, Arsuk Fjord, Sermersooq, Greenland

Euxenite-(Y)

Håverstad, Iveland, Agder, Norway

Samarskite-(Y), etc.

Spinelli prospect, Glastonbury, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA

Columbite-(Mn)

Topsham, Sagadahoc County, Maine, USA

Localities with greatest number of different Niobium mineral species

1	Poudrette quarry (De-Mix quarry; Demix quarry; Uni-Mix quarry; Carrière Mont Saint-Hilaire; MSH), Mont Saint-Hilaire, La Vallée-du-Richelieu RCM, Montérégie, Québec, Canada	23 Nb minerals
2	In den Dellen quarries, Mendig, Mendig, Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany	18 Nb minerals
3	Bayan Obo deposit, Bayan Obo mining district, Baotou City, Inner Mongolia, China	17 Nb minerals
	Ilímaussaq complex, Kujalleq, Greenland	10 Nb minerals
5	Kovdor Massif, Kovdorsky District, Murmansk Oblast, Russia	10 Nb minerals
6	Krufter Ofen, Kruft, Pellenz, Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany	9 Nb minerals
7	Dara-i-Pioz Massif, Districts of Republican Subordination, Tajikistan	9 Nb minerals
8	Karnasurt Mountain, Lovozersky District, Murmansk Oblast, Russia	9 Nb minerals

Important ores of Niobium

Name	Formula	Crystal System
Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series		Orthorhombic
Pyrochlore

Photos
Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series Tsaramanga pegmatite, Mahaiza, Betafo District, Vakinankaratra, Madagascar Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series Eptevatnet 04 Feldspar Quarry, Iveland, Agder, Norway Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series Usakos, Karibib Constituency, Erongo Region, Namibia Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series Tsaramanga pegmatite, Mahaiza, Betafo District, Vakinankaratra, Madagascar Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series Tsaramanga pegmatite, Mahaiza, Betafo District, Vakinankaratra, Madagascar Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series Eptevatnet 04 Feldspar Quarry, Iveland, Agder, Norway Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series Usakos, Karibib Constituency, Erongo Region, Namibia Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series Tsaramanga pegmatite, Mahaiza, Betafo District, Vakinankaratra, Madagascar Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series Tsaramanga pegmatite, Mahaiza, Betafo District, Vakinankaratra, Madagascar Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series Eptevatnet 04 Feldspar Quarry, Iveland, Agder, Norway Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series Usakos, Karibib Constituency, Erongo Region, Namibia Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series Tsaramanga pegmatite, Mahaiza, Betafo District, Vakinankaratra, Madagascar

Photos

Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series

Tsaramanga pegmatite, Mahaiza, Betafo District, Vakinankaratra, Madagascar

Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series

Eptevatnet 04 Feldspar Quarry, Iveland, Agder, Norway

Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series

Usakos, Karibib Constituency, Erongo Region, Namibia

Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series

Tsaramanga pegmatite, Mahaiza, Betafo District, Vakinankaratra, Madagascar

Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series

Eptevatnet 04 Feldspar Quarry, Iveland, Agder, Norway

Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series

Usakos, Karibib Constituency, Erongo Region, Namibia

Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series

Tsaramanga pegmatite, Mahaiza, Betafo District, Vakinankaratra, Madagascar

Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series

Tsaramanga pegmatite, Mahaiza, Betafo District, Vakinankaratra, Madagascar

Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series

Eptevatnet 04 Feldspar Quarry, Iveland, Agder, Norway

Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series

Usakos, Karibib Constituency, Erongo Region, Namibia

Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series

Tsaramanga pegmatite, Mahaiza, Betafo District, Vakinankaratra, Madagascar

Minor ores of Niobium

Name	Formula	Crystal System
Fergusonite
Euxenite-(Y)	(Y,Ca,Ce,U,Th)(Nb,Ta,Ti)₂O₆	Orthorhombic

Photos
Fergusonite Rullandsdalen, Risør, Agder, Norway Euxenite-(Y) Hiltveit, Iveland, Agder, Norway Fergusonite, etc. Landsverk, Evje og Hornnes, Agder, Norway Euxenite-(Y) Seula mine, Mount Camoscio, Oltrefiume, Baveno, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Piedmont, Italy Fergusonite Rullandsdalen, Risør, Agder, Norway Euxenite-(Y) Hiltveit, Iveland, Agder, Norway Fergusonite, etc. Landsverk, Evje og Hornnes, Agder, Norway Euxenite-(Y) Seula mine, Mount Camoscio, Oltrefiume, Baveno, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Piedmont, Italy Fergusonite Rullandsdalen, Risør, Agder, Norway Euxenite-(Y) Hiltveit, Iveland, Agder, Norway Fergusonite, etc. Landsverk, Evje og Hornnes, Agder, Norway Euxenite-(Y) Seula mine, Mount Camoscio, Oltrefiume, Baveno, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Piedmont, Italy

Photos

Fergusonite

Rullandsdalen, Risør, Agder, Norway

Euxenite-(Y)

Hiltveit, Iveland, Agder, Norway

Fergusonite, etc.

Landsverk, Evje og Hornnes, Agder, Norway

Euxenite-(Y)

Seula mine, Mount Camoscio, Oltrefiume, Baveno, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Piedmont, Italy

Fergusonite

Rullandsdalen, Risør, Agder, Norway

Euxenite-(Y)

Hiltveit, Iveland, Agder, Norway

Fergusonite, etc.

Landsverk, Evje og Hornnes, Agder, Norway

Euxenite-(Y)

Seula mine, Mount Camoscio, Oltrefiume, Baveno, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Piedmont, Italy

Fergusonite

Rullandsdalen, Risør, Agder, Norway

Euxenite-(Y)

Hiltveit, Iveland, Agder, Norway

Fergusonite, etc.

Landsverk, Evje og Hornnes, Agder, Norway

Euxenite-(Y)

Seula mine, Mount Camoscio, Oltrefiume, Baveno, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Piedmont, Italy

Spotted a mistake/omission? - These pages are a work in progress, so please send all comments/corrections to jolyon@mindat.org. Thank you.

Constants and physical property data from:

Lide, David R. - Ed. (2005) CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics - A Ready-Reference Book of Chemical and Physical Data (85th ed.). CRC Press.
National Physical Laboratory (2005) Kaye and Laby Online (discontinued). https://web.archive.org/web/20190506031327/http://www.kayelaby.npl.co.uk/
Kaye, G. W. C.; Laby, T. H. (n.d.) Tables of Physical and Chemical Constants and some Mathematical Functions. Longmans, Green, and Co.
Greenwood, N.N.; Earnshaw, A. (1997) Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Butterworth–Heinemann.
Ahrens, Thomas J. - Ed. (1995) Global Earth Physics - A Handbook of Physical Constants - AGU Reference Shelf No. 1. American Geophysical Union.
Railsback, L. Bruce (2003) An earth scientist's periodic table of the elements and their ions. Geology, 31 (9) 737 doi:10.1130/g19542.1
Emsley, John (2001) Nature's Building Blocks - An A-Z Guide to the Elements. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

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