Catalytic applications of niobium compounds 1981

This article examines the potential uses of niobium, and its compounds, as catalysts in chemical processing. The word potentials deliberately chosen because in 1978 none of the world's twenty-five major catalysts (1) contained niobium. On the other hand, catalysts containing molybdenum and vanadium, neighbors of niobium in the periodictable, realized over […] of sales in that same year. At the same t i m e many of the patents for niobium catalysts cover applications i n which niobium improves the activity of, or substitutes for, molybdenum based compounds. With favorable cost differentials and improvements i n understanding, niobium may be able to replace molybdenum in some of its traditional uses… (AU)