Processes for niobium powder: A literature evaluation part I: Reduction of niobium compounds

From a performance, availability and price point of view niobium capacitors could be a viable alternative to tantalum capacitors. Therefore, a variety of processes respectively process steps were investigated in the last years for the production of niobium powder, which comply with the very complex requirements for this application. From these processes, the reduction of niobium pentoxide to niobium(IV) oxide by hydrogen, followed by a magnesiothermic reduction to niobium powder seems to be an applicable process on an industrial scale.