• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.1-5
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• 2021

Among elemental metals, niobium (Nb) has the highest superconducting transition temperature (T_c) at ambient pressure. Thus, Nb films have been used in superconducting electronics and radio frequency cavity applications. In this study, the depositional factors determining the crystallinity and T_c of Nb films were investigated. An Nb film grown at a sputtering temperature of 240℃ exhibited the maximum crystallinity of Nb and the minimum crystallinity of niobium oxide. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed a maximum atomic percent of niobium and a minimum atomic percent of oxygen. A sputtering power of 210 W and a sputtering time of 50 min were the optimal conditions for Nb deposition, and the T_c of the optimized film (9.08 K) was close to that of bulk Nb (9.25 K). Transmission electron microscopy images of the thick film directly confirmed the removal of the typical in-plane compressive strain in the (110) plane caused by residual stress.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.386-390
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• 2009

Niobium(Nb) and Tantalum(Ta) are rarely found apart in nature and never in the free state. The element niobium amounts to 3% of the crustal abundance. On the whole, the niobium capacitor showed somewhat more unstable characteristics than the commercial tantalum capacitors, but is nonetheless considered applicable as a future substitute for tantalum capacitors. In this study, niobium powder was made from potassium heptafluoroniobite($K_2NbF_7$) by using sodium(Na) as a reductant and KCl and KF as diluents based on the hunter sodiothermic reduction method.,In order to obtain a high surface area niobium powder via the sodiothermic reduction method, a certain amount of diluent, such as alkali metal halides selected from NaCl, KCl, KF and NaF, was added in the raw materials to be reduced. However, if a higher surface area of powder is required, more diluents need to be used in the said method in order to produce niobium powder. But when more diluents are used, the niobium powder will be contaminated with more impurities and the yield will also decreased.

• Advances in materials Research
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.17-28
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• 2018

Niobium is a candidate base for new alloys devoted to applications at especially elevated temperatures. Elaborating and shaping niobium-based alloys by conventional foundry may lead to mechanically interesting microstructures. In this work a series of charges constituted of pure elements were subjected to high frequency induction melting in cold crucible to try obtaining cast highly refractory Nb-xCr and Nb-xCr-0.4 wt.%Calloys(x=27, 34 and 37 wt.%). Melting and solidification were successfully achieved. The as-cast microstructures of the obtained alloys were characterized by electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction and their hardness were specified by Vickers macro-indentation. The obtained as-cast microstructures are composed of a body centered cubic (bcc) niobium dendritic matrix and of an interdendritic eutectic compound involving the bcc Nb phase and a $NbCr_2$ Laves phase. The obtained alloys are hard to cut and particularly brittle at room temperature. Hardness is of a high level (higher than 600Hv) and is directly driven by the chromium content or the amount of {bcc Nb - $NbCr_2$} eutectic compound. Adding 0.4 wt.% of carbon did not lead to carbides but tends to increase hardness.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.330-335
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• 2014

Niobium pentoxide ($Nb_2O_5$) nanoparticles were synthesized using niobium (V) chloride and pluronic F108NF as the precursor and templating agent, respectively. The $Nb_2O_5$-graphene nanocomposites were placed in an electric furnace at $700^{\circ}C$ and calcined under Ar atmosphere for 2 h. The morphology, crystallinity, and photocatalytic degradation activity of the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and UV-vis spectroscopy. The $Nb_2O_5$-graphene nanocomposites acted as a photocatalyst in the photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes under 254 nm UV light; the organic dyes used were methylene blue (MB), methyl orange (MO), rhodamine B (RhB), and brilliant green (BG). The photocatalytic degradation kinetics for the aforesaid dyes were determined in the presence of the $Nb_2O_5$-graphene nanocomposites.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.306.2-306.2
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• 2016

Niobium oxide thin films were synthesized by reactive rf magnetron sputtering. The target was metallic niobium with 2 inch in diameter and the substrate was n-type Si wafer. To control the surface properties of the films, Nb oxide thin films were obtained at various mixing ratios of argon and oxygen gases. Nb oxide thin films were analyzed with alpha step, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The result of alpha step showed that the thickness of Nb oxide thin films were decreased with increasing the oxygen gas ratios. SEM images showed that the granular morphology was formed at 0% of oxygen gas ratio and then disappeared at 20 and 75% of oxygen gas ratio. The amorphous Nb oxide was observed by XRD at all films. The oxidation state of Nb and O were studied with high resolution Ni 2p and O 1s XPS spectra. And the change in the chemical environment of Nb oxide thin films was investigated by XPS with Ar+ sputtering.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.194-200
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• 2000

In order to evaluate the effect of Nb on wear properties of high speed steel(HSS) by powder metallurgy, niobium-alloyed HSS have been prepared by adding 0%, 1%, 3% and 5%Nb to HSS of 6%W-5%Mo-4 %Cr-5%V-5%Co. Sliding wear tests were conducted at various sliding speed conditions under the constant pressure using a pin-on-disc type machine. The results of this study show that the wear resistance of HSS by powder metallurgy was increased by the addition of Nb within the range of sliding speed used in this experimental study. However, the amount of Nb did not improve the wear resistance. It may be due to the thermal stability of carbide and high temperature properties of the matrix containing Nb comparing to that without Nb.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.196-200
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• 2011

The formation of niobium oxide microcones on niobium substrates was investigated in NaF to the HF electrolytes. This condition builds on the uniqueness of the microstructures niobium oxide. The dimensions and integrity of the bulk microstructures were found to be strongly dependent on potential, temperature, electrolyte composition, and anodization time. The anodic oxide was initially amorphous at all temperatures, but crystalline oxide nucleated during anodization. From XRD patterns of the anodized specimens, the microcones consisted of crystalline $Nb_2O_5$. We demonstrated niobium oxide microcone structures with nanorods. The anodized niobium oxide microcone texture revealed nanorod bundles. The surface of $Nb_2O_5$ microcones is very regular and has a nano-scale. The surface morphologies of the nanorods were examined using FE-SEM. EDS analyses show that the anodically prepared niobium oxide consists of $Nb_2O_5$. The aim of this study is to find the condition of forming the favorable nanorods by anodization method.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.390-390
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• 2010

Superconducting proximity effects of Nb/Si(111) were investigated with scanning tunneling microscopy(STM) and scanning tunneling spectroscopy(STS). A highly-doped($0.002\;{\omega}{\diamondsuit}cm$) Si wafer pieces were used as substrate and Nb source was thermally evaporated onto the atomically clean silicon substrate. The temperature of the silicon sample was held at $600^{\circ}C$ during the niobium deposition. And the sample was annealed at $600^{\circ}C$ for 30 minutes additionally. Volmer-Weber growth mode is preferred in Nb/Si(111) at the sample temperature of $600^{\circ}C$. With proper temperature and annealing time, we can obtain Nb islands of lateral size larger than Nb coherence length(~38nm). And outside of the islands, bare Si($7{\times}7$) reconstructed surface is exposed due to the Volmer-Weber Growth mode. STS measurement at 5.6K showed that Nb island have BCS-like superconducting gap of about 2mV around the Fermi level and the critical temperature is calculated to be as low as 6.1K, which is lower than that of bulk niobium, 9.5K. This reduced value of superconducting energy gap indicates suppression of superconductivity in nanostructures. Moreover, the superconducting state is extended out of the Nb island, over to bare Si surface, due to the superconducting proximity effect. Spatially-resolved scanning tunneling spectroscopy(SR-STS) data taken over the inside and outside of the niobium island shows gradually reduced superconducting gap.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.839-842
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• 2012

We report for the first time the synthesis of niobium dioxide nanowires on a sapphire substrate by chemical vapor transport method. We identified single crystalline nature of as-synthesized nanowires by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Niobium dioxide nanowires with their large surface-to-volume ratio and high activities can be employed for electrochemical catalysts and immunosensors. The Raman spectrum of niobium dioxide nanowires also confirmed their identity.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.129-134
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• 1998

Conversion of propane to acrylonitrile via ammoxidation was studied using physically mixed catalysts composed of $Nb_2O_5(10{\sim}30wt%)$ and $V_{0.4}Mo_1Te_{0.1}$. Catalytic activities of ammoxidation were improved by adding strong acidic niobium oxide to $V_{0.4}Mo_1Te_{0.1}$, the selectivities to acrylonitrile+propylene being remained constant. The maximum activity was obtained at the mixing ratio 25wt% niobium oxide in $Nb_2O_5-V_{0.4}Mo_1Te_{0.1}$. Niobium oxide was found to be a selective catalyst for the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane.