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Why is hydrided niobium crushed into fine powder?
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niobium processing
Four one-millimetre thick samples of niobium metal foil.
In the context of niobium processing, the hydriding process is used to facilitate the production of niobium powder. Impure niobium is first subjected to hydrogen at high temperatures, which makes the metal brittle. This brittleness allows the material to be crushed and pulverized into a fine powder.
Once the niobium has been reduced to this fine state, it is reheated and dehydrided in a vacuum to produce the final niobium powder. This powder can then be pressed into "green" compacts and subjected to sintering, a process that consolidates the material and improves its mechanical properties through the removal of impurities.1