ABSTRACT
Niobium concentrates obtained from naturally occurring sources constitute the primary sources of metal. The pyrochlore concentrate obtained after physical beneficiation followed by chemical leaching to remove certain impurities is of the right specification and it can be utilized directly for the production of ferroniobium by aluminothermic reduction process. In the process of preparation of chemically pure compounds, particularly in the case of chemically similar elements like niobium and tantalum, an additional feature of accomplishing separation between the two is implemented. Columbite, columbite-tantalite, and tantalite concentrates are comprised of an isomorphous series of columbite-tantalite minerals which are chemically quite stable and have a general chemical formula of (FeMn)(NbTa)2O6. Apart from the chemical methods, niobium concentrates have also been processed by electrochemical methods to yield niobium metal, an alloy, or a compound. The separation of niobium from tantalum is an important step in the chemical processing of niobium sources, particularly for the production of pure niobium and tantalum.
