Ferro niobium

Overview

Ferroniobium (FeNb), also called ferrocolumbium, is an alloy of niobium and iron that typically contains about 66% niobium. It is the leading commercial niobium product: in 2022 it accounted for 88% of the global niobium market, against 9% for niobium oxide and 2% for niobium metal.¹

Steelmakers use it to add small amounts of niobium to high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) and stainless steels.¹ Ferroniobium is not itself on the US or EU critical lists, but niobium is on both.²³ Supply is highly concentrated: Brazil and Canada together produced more than 99% of the world's ferroniobium in 2022.¹

How it is made

Pyrochlore is the leading mineral mined for niobium, and most identified resources occur as pyrochlore in carbonatite deposits. The mineral is typically converted to ferroniobium at the mine site.⁴¹ Concentrates usually contain 55% to 60% niobium pentoxide (Nb₂O₅).¹

Aluminothermic reduction is the process used worldwide. Carbon reduction leaves too much residual carbon for the low-carbon steels that use ferroniobium, and silicon reduction is incomplete, so aluminum gives the highest niobium recovery. Iron or iron oxide is added to the charge, together with fluorspar and lime to make the slag more fluid so that it separates cleanly from the metal.⁵

Before reduction, the concentrate has to be cleaned of phosphorus, sulfur and lead. The largest producer, in Brazil, has described replacing its earlier leaching step with sintering and electric-furnace smelting, and adding an electric arc furnace to its aluminothermic process to cut aluminum consumption.⁵

Brazil produced about 93% of the world's niobium in 2025 and Canada about 5%. World mine production was an estimated 112,000 t of contained niobium.⁴

• Brazil63,000 t · 90%
• Canada6,600 t · 9%
• Russia360 t · <1%

USGS notes that Austria, China and Germany may also have produced ferroniobium, but data were inadequate for estimates. Source: 2022 Minerals Yearbook: Niobium (advance release)

What it is used for

Ferroniobium is used mainly in HSLA steel and in stainless steel.¹ In 2022 construction was the largest end use of niobium worldwide (about 49%), followed by automotive and shipbuilding (24%), oil and gas (16%) and aerospace and defense (4%).¹

In the United States, steels took about 77% of niobium consumption and superalloys about 23%. Niobium was consumed mostly as ferroniobium by the steel industry, and as niobium alloys and metal by the aerospace industry.⁴

Grades and forms

Most ferroniobium is sold as a standard grade with 65–67% niobium. Higher-purity vacuum-grade ferroniobium and nickel-niobium are made as special alloys with a similar niobium content.⁵ The alloy melts at about 1,600 °C.⁵

Trade and policy

Brazil's exports under HS code 7202.93 (ferroniobium) were 92,000 t in 2024 and 63,200 t in January–August 2025. Most went to China (49%), the Netherlands (17%), Singapore (9%), and South Korea and the United States (8% each).⁴ In 2022 China mined very little niobium but was the world's leading importer of ferroniobium.¹

The United States has reported no significant niobium mine production since 1959 and relies entirely on imports. In 2021–24, Brazil supplied 65% and Canada 31% of its imports of ferroniobium and niobium metal, and ferroniobium made up 68% of all US niobium imports by niobium content.⁴ The US general duty rate on both ferroniobium subheadings is 5%.⁶ Ferroniobium was listed among potential acquisitions for the National Defense Stockpile in fiscal year 2025.⁴

This section is factual background, not legal or trade-compliance advice.

Recycling and substitution

Niobium is recycled when niobium-bearing steels and superalloys are recycled, but scrap recovery specifically for its niobium content is negligible. USGS estimates that recycled niobium may have been as much as 20% of US apparent consumption.⁴

Molybdenum and vanadium can replace niobium in HSLA steels, and molybdenum, tantalum and titanium in stainless and high-strength steels, though usually with a performance loss or higher cost.⁴

Sources

1. 2022 Minerals Yearbook: Niobium (advance release). U.S. Geological Survey, accessed 2026-10-03. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

2. Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals (90 FR 50494). Federal Register (U.S. Geological Survey), accessed 2026-10-03. ↩

3. Critical raw materials. European Commission, accessed 2026-10-03. ↩

4. Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Niobium (Columbium). U.S. Geological Survey, accessed 2026-10-03. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

5. The Evolution of FeNb Manufacturing. CBMM (niobium.tech), accessed 2026-10-03. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

6. Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States: heading 7202 (ferroalloys). U.S. International Trade Commission, accessed 2026-10-03. ↩