The Present status and the projected programme on niobium-tantalum metallurgy in India

Niobium and tantalum which belong to the family of ref-ractory rare metals, have assumed great strategic impo-rtance in present day material development programmes, specially in industries like chemical and nuclear engineering, electronics and aerospace. The use of niob-ium as ferroniobium contributing to carbide stabilisat-ion in stainless steel is well established and accounts for the major demand for niobium in the world today. At the same time, niobium-based alloys have been considered excellent for high temperature service, and in particular two alloys (i) SU-16 (Nb- 11 W- 3Mo -21-If-0 - 08C), and (ii) Nb-752 (Nb-IOW- 25Zr)'--have been developed for application in aerospace structure components. With its relatively low neutron absorption cross-section (Q8= I 1 barns), compatibility both with uranium fuels and liquid metal coolants, and good high temperature strength and fabrication characteristics, niobium is also an attra-ctive candidate for nuclear energy application, parti-cularly in fast reactors. Also, a zirconium-alloy conta-ining 2.5% of niobium is a potential competitor to
zircaloy for structural core components in water-cooled thermal reactor systems.