Niobium

How crazy is it that niobium is found in jewelry and it's art fair in Ann Arbor? Art fair is this GIANT festival that stretches through downtown and has anything artsy you could imagine. The craziest thing I have seen? It would have to be a 6 foot bronze bunny complete with bronze carrot - wish I had taken a picture to show you!

Anyway, enjoy this video of anodizing niobium for earrings. I'll admit it's pretty dry but the process is actually kind of cool. I'm pondering it for a future chemistry lab - provided that the materials and hazards are high school friendly :)

 

Common Occurrences: Niobium is a component of rocket nozzles, as it is resistant to corrosion at high temperatures. Niobium is also found in jewelry and coins, as it can be anodized into different colors. And if you've ever had an MRI, you can thank niobium, which is found in the wire that produces the magnetic field necessary for imaging.

Fun Fact: Niobium is named after Niobe, a figure in Greek mythology, who was the daughter of Tantalus, a son of Zeus (coincidentally, tantalum, named after Tantalus, sits right below niobium on the periodic table). According to myth, Niobe had 14 children but in bragging to Leto (a nymph) about the "Niobids," Leto sent her children Artemis and Apollo (who were gods) to kill Niobe's children. Lesson: don't brag about your kids to a nymph (also don't refer to your children as Niobids).