Niobium electrolytic crystals – electrorefined metal “hedgehogs” – 57.4 g

Description

There is a lot for 57.4 gram set of niobium (columbium) metal crystals prepared by electrolysis.  The m
ost precise name for this material would be “electrorefined niobium” instead of “electrolytic” since the production process included anodic dissolution of crude Nb metal in a molten salt electrolyte (K2NbF7 dissolved in KCl-NaCl melt or some similar alkali metal chlorides eutectic) with subsequent re-precipitation on the cathode. Very slow and expensive process designed for the production of very pure niobium metal for fundamental research or most demanding industrial applications.
Produced in 1980th in the Soviet Union. UNIQUE collection sample currently not produced anymore!