PURPOSE: To manufacture metallic niobium in good yield by using an Nb2O5 ore as raw material, by adding to the above an Al powder as reducing agent to a specific excess reducing-agent ratio or below, by further adding NaClO3 and an A4l powder as carburetants, and by subjecting the above to thermit reaction in a specific Q-value range.
CONSTITUTION: The Nb2O5 ore is used as raw material, to which the A4l powder as reducing agent and further the NaClO3 and the Al powder as carburetants are added to undergo thermit reaction so as to manufacture metallic niobium. At that time,the raw material and the reducing agent are blended so that the excess reducing-agent ratio defined by equation I is ≤1.2, and the thermit reaction is carried out in the range where the Q value defined by equation II is 615W675Kcal/kg.
NAYUKI TOSHIO
OUCHI CHIAKI
TAKEZAWA TAKAHISA
