NIOBIUM, Nb
CHILD OF TANTALUS
Niobe, child of Tantalus, inspired soft Nb’s name,
Conducts so well (when paired with tin) ’round MRI’s coil’d frame.
Helps steel to withstand rust ’n’ heat,
In rocket nozzles, hard to beat.
Its oxide layer, once anodized, sports hues to much acclaim.
enn-bees
Niobe, child of Tantalus, inspired soft Nb’s name,
GROUP 5 TRANSITION METAL
Niobium is a soft, grayish transition metal chemically similar to tantalum (see “Tantalum, Ta” on page 211). The two elements are found together in nature and difficult to separate. Niobium was named after Niobe, goddess of grief in Greek mythology and daughter of King Tantalus (after ...
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