Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms

Difference Between

Home / Science & Nature / Science / Chemistry / Inorganic Chemistry / Difference Between Niobium and Titanium

Difference Between Niobium and Titanium

August 17, 2020 Posted by Madhu

The key difference between niobium and titanium is that niobium is less corrosion-resistant, whereas titanium is more corrosion resistant than niobium.

Niobium and titanium are corrosion resistant, transition metals. We can compare them with each other according to their corrosion-resistant properties because titanium is more resistant to corrosion than niobium. However, niobium is cheaper than titanium and is highly available. Therefore, people often use niobium as an alternative to titanium.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Niobium 
3. What is Titanium 
4. Side by Side Comparison – Niobium vs Titanium in Tabular Form
5. Summary

What is Niobium?

Niobium is a chemical element having the chemical symbol Nb and atomic number 41. It is a light grey, crystalline substance and is also a ductile transition metal. The standard atomic weight of niobium is 9209 amu. Generally, pure niobium has a hardness that is similar to iron. In addition to these, niobium can undergo oxidation in Earth’s atmosphere very slowly. Therefore, it can be used as a hypoallergenic alternative to nickel. Often, we can find this metal in minerals such as pyrochlore and columbite. At room temperature and pressure, niobium is in the solid-state.

Key Difference - Niobium vs Titanium

Figure 01: A Foil made of Niobium

When considering the natural occurrence of niobium, we can categorize it as primordial. The crystal structure of this metal is a body-centred cubic structure. The Moh’s hardness of this metal is 6.0. Niobium has several isotopes, and Nb-93 is the most stable isotope.

Niobium metal is important in manufacturing numerous superconducting materials. These are superconducting alloys which also contain titanium and tin. These alloys are useful as superconducting magnets in MRI scanners. In addition to that, there are some other applications of niobium such as welding purposes, nuclear industry, electronics, optics, and jewellery.

What is Titanium?

Titanium is a chemical element having the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It is a d block element, and we can categorize it as a metal. Titanium has a silvery grey-white metallic appearance. Furthermore, it is a transition metal. Titanium has high strength compared to its low density, and more importantly, it is corrosion resistant upon exposure to seawater, aqua regia and chlorine.

Difference Between Niobium and Titanium

Figure 02: Titanium Products

For titanium metal, the standard atomic weight is 47.86 amu. It is in group 4 and period 4 of the periodic table. The electron configuration of titanium is [Ar] 3d2 4s2. This metal exists in the solid-state at standard temperature and pressure. Furthermore, the melting point and boiling points of this metal are 1668 °C and 3287 °C, respectively. The most common and stable oxidation state of this metal is +4.

In addition to having a high strength to weight ratio, titanium metal is quite ductile and lustrous. Depending on its high melting point, this metal is important as a refractory material. Furthermore, titanium is paramagnetic and has low electrical and thermal conductivity. We can find titanium metal commonly as titanium oxide in most igneous rocks and in the sediments derived from these rocks. In addition, titanium is the ninth most abundant element on earth’s crust. For titanium metal, the most common minerals where it occurs include anatase, brookite, ilmenite, perovskite, rutile, and titanite.

What is the Difference Between Niobium and Titanium?

Niobium and titanium are transition metals. Both are corrosion-resistant metals. The key difference between niobium and titanium is that niobium is less corrosion-resistant, whereas titanium is more corrosion resistant than niobium. Niobium is a light grey, crystalline substance while Titanium has a silvery grey-white metallic appearance.

Moreover, niobium has a low weight-to-strength ratio, while titanium has a high weight-to-strength ratio.

Below is a summary of the difference between niobium and titanium in tabular form.

Difference Betweeniobium and Titanium in Tabular Form

Summary – Niobium vs Titanium

The key difference between niobium and titanium is that niobium is less corrosion-resistant, whereas titanium is more corrosion resistant than niobium. Although titanium is more corrosion resistant than niobium, most of the times, the niobium is used instead of titanium because of its low price and high availability.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Niobium metal” By User:Dschwen – Template:CTAVSASCAKPJ (CC BY 2.5) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Titanium products” By CSIRO (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia

Related posts:

Difference Between Cl2 and Cl3Difference Between Cl2 and Cl3 Difference Between Fluorophore and ChromophoreDifference Between Fluorophore and Chromophore Difference Between Law of Definite Proportions and Law of Multiple ProportionsDifference Between Law of Definite Proportions and Law of Multiple Proportions Difference between Aerosol and Particulate MatterDifference Between Aerosol and Particulate Matter Difference Between Inert and Labile ComplexesDifference Between Inert and Labile Complexes

Filed Under: Inorganic Chemistry

About the Author: Madhu

Madhu is a graduate in Biological Sciences with BSc (Honours) Degree and currently persuing a Masters Degree in Industrial and Environmental Chemistry. With a mind rooted firmly to basic principals of chemistry and passion for ever evolving field of industrial chemistry, she is keenly interested to be a true companion for those who seek knowledge in the subject of chemistry.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Request Article

Featured Posts

Difference Between Coronavirus and Cold Symptoms

Difference Between Coronavirus and Cold Symptoms

Difference Between Coronavirus and SARS

Difference Between Coronavirus and SARS

Difference Between Coronavirus and Influenza

Difference Between Coronavirus and Influenza

Difference Between Coronavirus and Covid 19

Difference Between Coronavirus and Covid 19

You May Like

Difference Between Senator and Representative

Difference Between Fixed and Variable Annuities

Difference Between iPhone 4S and BlackBerry Torch 9810

What is the Difference Between Keratin and Cysteine Treatment

What is the Difference Between Keratin and Cysteine Treatment

Difference Between Proteasome and Protease

Difference Between Proteasome and Protease

Latest Posts

  • What is the Difference Between Diarrhea and Gastroenteritis
  • What is the Difference Between Cell Plate and Metaphase Plate
  • What is the Difference Between Acrylic and Silicone Sealant
  • What is the Difference Between MLVA and MLST
  • What is the Difference Between Excimer and Exciplex
  • What is the Difference Between Slow and Fast Axonal Transport
  • Home
  • Vacancies
  • About
  • Request Article
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2010-2018 Difference Between. All rights reserved. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: Legal.