Ferro Niobium
Niobium is a light gray metal with a gleaming white appearance on polished surfaces. It is characterized by a high melting point of 2,477° C and a density of 8.58g/cm3. Niobium can be easily formed, even at low temperatures. Niobium is ductile and occurs with tantalum in a natural ore. Like tantalum, niobium also features outstanding chemical and oxidation resistance.
The main component of ferroniobium is an iron alloy of niobium and iron. It also contains impurities such as aluminum, silicon, carbon, sulfur, and phosphorus. According to the niobium content of the alloy, it is divided into FeNb50, FeNb60 and FeNb70. The iron alloy. produced with niobium-tantalum ore contains tantalum, called niobium-tantalum iron. Ferro-niobium and niobium-nickel alloys are used as niobium additives in vacuum smelting of iron-based alloys and nickel-based alloys. It is required to have low gas content and low harmful impurities, such as Pb, Sb, Bi, Sn, As, etc. <2×10, so it is called “VQ” (vacuum quality), such as VQFeNb, VQNiNb, etc.
Application:
Ferro Niobium is mainly used for smelting high-temperature (heat-resistant) alloys, stainless steel, and high-strength low-alloy steel. Niobium forms stable niobium carbide with carbon in stainless steel and heat-resistant steel. It can prevent grain growth at high temperatures, refine the structure of steel, and improve the strength, toughness, and creep properties of steel.
Chemical Composition (%):
| Chemical Composition % | FeNb70 | FeNb60-A | FeNb60-B | FeNb50-A | FeNb50-B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nb+Ta | 70-80 | 60-70 | 60-70 | 50-60 | 50-60 |
| Ta | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 1.5 |
| Al | 3.8 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Si | 1.5 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 4.0 |
| C | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 |
| S | 0.03 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.03 |
| P | 0.04 | 0.02 | 0.05 | 0.05 | – |
| W | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 | – |
| Ti | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 | – |
| Cu | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | – |
| Mn | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | – |
| As | 0.005 | 0.005 | 0.005 | 0.005 | – |
| Sn | 0.002 | 0.002 | 0.002 | 0.002 | – |
| Sb | 0.002 | 0.002 | 0.002 | 0.002 | – |
| Pb | 0.002 | 0.002 | 0.002 | 0.002 | – |
| Bi | 0.002 | 0.002 | 0.002 | 0.002 | – |