REDUCTION OF NIOBIUM PENTOXIDE BY CARBON

Technical Report · Wed Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1961

OSTI ID:4834404

Stevens, E R; Wilhelm, H A

The investigations of the reduction of niobium pentoxide by carbon showed that niobiunm metal could be prepared by a direct reduction. High temperatures in the region of 2000 deg C but below the melting point of niobiumv and dynamic vacumn of one micron or less were the principal experimental conditions employed throughout the course of this study. The reaction, which followed very closely the stoichiometry of the equation Nb/sub 2/O/sub 5/+ 5C - 2NB + 5CO, began at a temperature near 1200 deg C and was nearly completed at 1600 deg C. The data indicated that it might be possible to allow reduction to take place at approximately 1800 deg C. After the reaction is completed at this temperature, raising of thc temperature of the reaction material to nearly 2000 deg C might eliminate residual oxygen as a result of volatilization of a lower oxide of niobium. If, then a larger scale preparation could be derived from this work, such a process would elimninate various intermediate steps in the usual industrial production of niobiumn metal. A simple direct reduction below the melting point of niobiumn and subsequent arc melting of thc metal to give a massive, good quality product might prove to be an economical process for the production of niobium. (auth)

• Research Organization: Ames Lab., Ames, Iowa
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-82
• NSA Number: NSA-16-001647
• OSTI ID: 4834404
• Report Number(s): IS-339
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CARBON
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
ECONOMICS
EQUATIONS
HIGH TEMPERATURE
MELTING
MELTING POINTS
METALS
NIOBIUM
NIOBIUM OXIDES
OXYGEN
PRODUCTION
QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS
REDUCTION
RESIDUES
STOICHIOMETRY
TESTING
VACUUM
VOLATILITY