Bisnis.comJAKARTA — Original scientist China discovered a type of metal ore never before seen. Metal says earth Niabobaotite It is like a “treasure” because its contents can be used to make powerful batteries and planes.
Niabobaotite is an extremely rare material that contains chloride, iron, titanium, barium and niobium. Titanium is a raw material for making airplanes and spacecraft, while niobium can be used for rockets.
City of South China Morning PostSunday (10/15/2023), this metal contains rarely found but highly sought after earth elements due to their superconducting properties.
In this case, the element Niobium is in Niabobaotite is a coveted treasure. Metal This light gray color is widely used in steel production, which can significantly increase weight.
Not only that, according to Royal Society of ChemistryNiobium is also used in the manufacture of other metal alloys that can be found in particle accelerators and other advanced scientific equipment because it is a low-temperature superconductor.
Antonio H. Castro Neto, an electrical and computer engineering expert from the National University of Singapore (NUS), said the discovery was fortunate for China, which has so far imported 95 percent of niobium.
“Depending on the volume and quality of this niobium, it could make China independent,” Antonio said, as quoted by Space.com, Sunday (10/15/2023).
According to the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), metallic niobium ore was discovered in Bayan Obo, Baotou City, Mongolia on October 3, 2023.
Niobium is the 17th new type discovered at the site and one of 150 new minerals discovered in the region.
For information, previously the largest supplier of the rare earth metal niobium in the world was Brazil, followed by Canada. However, the US Geological Survey reports that a project to open a niobium mine and processing facility is underway in southern Nebraska, namely the Elk Creek Critical Minerals project which will be the only niobium mine in the states -United.
Meanwhile, the demand for niobium metal is also expected to increase in the future as researchers work to develop niobium-lithium and niobium-graphene batteries.
According to S&P Global, these batteries can reduce the risk of fire when used with lithium. Niobium-lithium batteries also charge faster and can be recharged more frequently than traditional lithium batteries.
In May, researchers at NUS’s Center for Advanced 2D Materials (CA2DM), which is developing niobium-graphene batteries, said they could last about 30 years, 10 times longer than lithium-ion batteries, and could be fully charged in 30 to 10 years. minutes.
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