ForMatter/Materials/metal/Niobium (Pure)
mat_niobium_pure

Niobium (Pure)

refractory metal, anodizable · Nb, columbium (historical)
highlast updated 2026-04-27
metallic 0.00
hue shift +0°

A refractory metal — high-melting, corrosion-proof, biocompatible — best known in jewelry because it accepts color the way titanium does, only more vividly. Run a low voltage through a niobium piece in an electrolyte bath and a transparent oxide layer grows on the surface; the layer's thickness sets which wavelengths interfere, which sets the color. The whole rainbow is voltage-mapped. No dye.

BCC structure, density 8.57 g/cm³, melting point 2477 °C — among the highest-melting metals in commercial use. Hypoallergenic, non-reactive across biological environments, and electrolytically anodizable in saturated salt solutions across 0–120 V to produce structurally-colored Nb₂O₅ films from gold (~10 V) through blue (~30 V) violet (~60 V) green (~80 V) to magenta (~100 V). Hardness modest (Vickers ~80 HV annealed) — niobium pieces are often relatively thick to compensate.

mechanical

  • tensile_strength_mpa_annealed275
  • yield_strength_mpa_annealed170
  • hardness_vickers_annealed80
  • density_kg_m38570
source: ASM Handbook Vol. 2; Reactive Metals International datasheet

thermal

  • melting_point_c2477
  • thermal_conductivity_w_mk53
source: CRC Handbook

Sustainability

  • embodied carbon kg co2e per kg47
  • sourceEditorial estimate from ICE / Granta CES EduPack class databases — industry mean, with cradle-to-gate boundary unless otherwise noted. Embodied carbon for any specific product depends on supplier mix, recycled content, and energy grid; verify against a primary source before using these numbers in a sustainability claim.
  • recyclabilitymoderate — recoverable via specialty refiners; jewelry-scale recycling rare
  • biodegradableFalse
  • certificationsASTM F1295 (medical-grade niobium for implants)
  • localityprimary mining concentrated in Brazil (CBMM) and Canada
visual
silver-gray as polished, vividly anodizable across the visible spectrum without dye
tactile
harder under the hand than gold, softer than steel, takes a smooth polish
weight perception
moderate

PBR starter values

Principled BSDF defaults derived from the sphere iridescent finish. Reasonable seed for Blender, Substance, Keyshot, Rhino — tune per material.

# finish:      iridescent
albedo        #2050a0
metallic      0.70
roughness     0.30
ior           1.45
transmission  0.00
clearcoat     0.50
sheen         0.50
anisotropic   0.00
copy as JSON 
{
  "albedo": "#2050a0",
  "metallic": 0.7,
  "roughness": 0.3,
  "ior": 1.45,
  "transmission": 0.0,
  "clearcoat": 0.5,
  "sheen": 0.5,
  "anisotropic": 0.0
}
Blender 4.x Python 
# Blender 4.x — Principled BSDF
# Niobium (Pure) · finish: iridescent
import bpy
mat = bpy.data.materials.new(name="mat_niobium_pure")
mat.use_nodes = True
bsdf = mat.node_tree.nodes["Principled BSDF"]
bsdf.inputs["Base Color"].default_value         = (0.0144, 0.0802, 0.3515, 1.0)
bsdf.inputs["Metallic"].default_value           = 0.700
bsdf.inputs["Roughness"].default_value          = 0.300
bsdf.inputs["IOR"].default_value                = 1.450
bsdf.inputs["Transmission Weight"].default_value = 0.000
bsdf.inputs["Coat Weight"].default_value        = 0.500
bsdf.inputs["Sheen Weight"].default_value       = 0.500
bsdf.inputs["Anisotropic"].default_value        = 0.000
KeyShot Python (lux) 
# KeyShot 11+ — lux Python API, Generic material
# Niobium (Pure) · finish: iridescent
# Run from Window → Scripting Console
import lux
mat = lux.createMaterial(name="mat_niobium_pure", materialType="Generic")
mat.setProperty("diffuse",      (32, 80, 160))   # 8-bit sRGB
mat.setProperty("metallic",     0.700)
mat.setProperty("roughness",    0.300)
mat.setProperty("indexOfRefraction", 1.450)
mat.setProperty("transparency", 0.000)
mat.setProperty("coatingWeight", 0.500)
Substance pbrMetalRough 
{
  "_format": "Substance Designer / Painter \u2014 pbrMetalRough constants",
  "_about": "Niobium (Pure) \u00b7 finish: iridescent",
  "baseColor": {
    "r": 0.0144,
    "g": 0.0802,
    "b": 0.3515
  },
  "metallic": 0.7,
  "roughness": 0.3,
  "ior": 1.45,
  "opacity": 1.0,
  "anisotropyLevel": 0.0,
  "_notes": "Channels listed are the standard Substance pbrMetalRough output. Drop into a Uniform Color node per channel, or as the constant input on a layered stack."
}
glTF 2.0 Metallic-Roughness 
{
  "asset": {
    "version": "2.0",
    "generator": "ForMatter"
  },
  "materials": [
    {
      "name": "mat_niobium_pure",
      "pbrMetallicRoughness": {
        "baseColorFactor": [
          0.0144,
          0.0802,
          0.3515,
          1.0
        ],
        "metallicFactor": 0.7,
        "roughnessFactor": 0.3
      },
      "extensions": {
        "KHR_materials_ior": {
          "ior": 1.45
        },
        "KHR_materials_clearcoat": {
          "clearcoatFactor": 0.5
        },
        "KHR_materials_sheen": {
          "sheenColorFactor": [
            1.0,
            1.0,
            1.0
          ],
          "sheenRoughnessFactor": 0.5
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}
USD Preview Surface 
# USD Preview Surface — UsdShade.MaterialLook prim attributes
# Niobium (Pure) · finish: iridescent
def Material "mat_niobium_pure" {
    token outputs:surface.connect = </mat_niobium_pure/PreviewSurface.outputs:surface>

    def Shader "PreviewSurface" {
        uniform token info:id = "UsdPreviewSurface"
        color3f inputs:diffuseColor = (0.0144, 0.0802, 0.3515)
        float   inputs:metallic     = 0.700
        float   inputs:roughness    = 0.300
        float   inputs:ior          = 1.450
        float   inputs:opacity      = 1.000
        float   inputs:clearcoat    = 0.500
        token   outputs:surface
    }
}
↓ download glTF material
ProcessAnodizing · Laser Cutting · Sandblasting (Abrasive Blasting) · CNC Milling
Substitutes
Titanium Grade 1 (CP-Ti)
Tantalum (Pure)

Citations