niobium

noun

ni·​o·​bi·​um nī-ˈō-bē-əm How to pronounce niobium (audio)
: a lustrous light gray ductile metallic element that resembles tantalum chemically and is used in alloys see Chemical Elements Table

Examples of niobium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Companies will use heavy machinery to scrape the nearby Arctic seabed for metals and minerals, such as magnesium, niobium and cobalt – vital materials in some industrial processes – according to Sky News. Peter Aitken, Fox News, 20 Jan. 2024 The ore contains the rare-earth metal niobium, which is used in steel production and becomes a superconductor when cooled to low temperatures. Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 29 Dec. 2023 Google’s qubits are made of aluminum; IBM uses a mix of aluminum and niobium, the two most often used materials for this qubit type. Katherine Wright, Scientific American, 28 Sep. 2023 The magnets currently used in the LHC are made of niobium titanium (NbTi)—but for the FCC, scientists will switch to the more powerful superconducting material niobium tin (Nb3Sn). IEEE Spectrum, 30 Jan. 2019 But some of the money will also be spent at Boston Metal’s facility in Brazil, which uses the same technology to produce specialty metals like tin, niobium, and tantalum. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Sep. 2023 The large magnetic fields required for MRI scanners, for example, are generated by passing a large current through a superconductor (typically MRI machines use niobium titanium superconductors cooled to below 9.3 Kelvin, -442.9°F, using liquid helium). Will Henshall, Time, 3 Aug. 2023 Not surprisingly, many of the elements that like to bond with sulfur were there: copper, lead, bismuth, tin as well as more exotic elements like lithium, uranium and niobium (the latter three at less than one part per million). Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 27 June 2023 Quantum Rare Earths Development Corp. is also trying to develop a mine for rare earths and niobium in Elk Creek, Nebraska. Willy Shih, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'niobium.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin Niobe; from its occurrence in tantalite

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of niobium was in 1845

Dictionary Entries Near niobium

Cite this Entry

“Niobium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/niobium. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

niobium

noun
ni·​o·​bi·​um nī-ˈō-bē-əm How to pronounce niobium (audio)
: a shiny gray metallic element used in alloys see element

Medical Definition

niobium

noun
ni·​o·​bi·​um nī-ˈō-bē-əm How to pronounce niobium (audio)
: a lustrous light gray ductile metallic element that resembles tantalum chemically and is used in alloys
symbol Nb

called also columbium

see Chemical Elements Table

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