niobium Chem.
(naɪˈəʊbɪəm)
[f. Niob-e, the daughter of Tantalus, + -ium; named in 1845 by Heinrich Rose, who rediscovered it in the tantalites of Bavaria. The earlier name is columbium.]
A metallic element, occurring in tantalite and other minerals. Symbol Nb.
| 1845 H. Rose in Chem. Gaz. III. 36 It is the oxide of a metal which differs from all known metals. I have called it Niobium, and its acid niobic acid, from Niobe, daughter of Tantalus. 1849 D. Campbell Inorg. Chem. 277 The white chloride is the terchloride of niobium. 1866 Watts Dict. Chem. IV. 49 Niobium occurs..in columbite, which is a compound of niobous oxide with the protoxides of iron and manganese. 1880 E. Cleminshaw Wurtz' Atom. The. 147 The double fluoride of niobium and potassium. |
| attrib. and Comb. 1849 D. Campbell Inorg. Chem. 278 The niobium and tantalum sulphides. 1863 Fownes' Chem. (ed. 9) 366 The examination of the niobium compounds. 1892 Morley & Muir Watts' Dict. Chem. III. 505/2 The existence of three other metals in niobium-containing minerals has been asserted. |