Definition of "niobium" []

• A silvery, soft, ductile metallic element that occurs chiefly in columbite-tantalite and is used in steel alloys, arc welding, and superconductivity research. Atomic number 41; atomic weight 92.906; melting point 2,468°C; boiling point 4,927°C; specific gravity 8.57; valence 2, 3, 5. See Table at element. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Mr. Hallbauer added: "With limited near-term niobium production on the horizon and demand steadily growing, an open pit mining operation at Aley has strong potential to become a key asset for Taseko.""
• "Brazil's Companhia Brasileira de Metalurgia e Mineraçào, or CBMM as it is known, produces more than 80% of the world's supply of niobium, which is used to strengthen steel and is widely employed in making cars and natural-gas pipelines."
• "The company produces more than 80% of the world's supply of niobium, which is used to strengthen steel and is widely employed in making cars and natural-gas pipelines."