Top Industries purchasing Niobium (Nb)
Niobium is primarily valued for its ability to create High-Strength Low-Alloy (HSLA) steel.
Adding just 0.05% niobium to steel can significantly increase its strength and reduce its weight.
The vast majority of Niobium is sold to steel mills, who produce specific products for downstream sectors.
Major Individual Company Purchasers
Caution: This content was sourced and arranged by AI and thus may be subject to errors, biases, omissions, or antiquation.
This information can provide a general sense of industry dynamics, but may be unreliable in its specifics, or as an isolated basis for investment decisions.
Niobium is primarily valued for its ability to create High-Strength Low-Alloy (HSLA) steel.
Adding just 0.05% niobium to steel can significantly increase its strength and reduce its weight.
The vast majority of Niobium is sold to steel mills, who produce specific products for downstream sectors.
| Rank | Industry | Volume (MT) | % Usage | Primary Applications |
| 1 | Construction (Infrastructure) | ~50,000 | 47.0% | Structural HSLA steel for bridges, skyscrapers, and beams. |
| 2 | Automotive & Transportation | ~24,500 | 23.0% | Lightweight chassis and body frames for fuel efficiency/EV range. |
| 3 | Oil & Gas (Midstream) | ~16,000 | 15.0% | Large-diameter API-grade high-pressure pipelines. |
| 4 | Aerospace (Superalloys) | ~6,500 | 6.0% | Nickel-Niobium alloys for jet engine turbines and rocket nozzles. |
| 5 | Shipbuilding & Marine | ~3,200 | 3.0% | Corrosion-resistant hull steel and offshore platforms. |
| 6 | Energy (Power Generation) | ~2,100 | 2.0% | High-temperature components for gas and steam turbines. |
| 7 | Battery Manufacturing (EV) | ~1,600 | 1.5% | Niobium-doped cathodes/anodes for ultra-fast charging. |
| 8 | Medical Imaging (MRI) | ~1,100 | 1.0% | Niobium-Titanium superconducting magnets for MRIs. |
| 9 | Defense & Armor | ~800 | 0.8% | High-impact resistant plating for military vehicles. |
| 10 | Electronics (Capacitors) | ~350 | 0.3% | Niobium oxide capacitors for smartphones and computers. |
| 11 | Nuclear Energy | ~200 | 0.2% | Low neutron-capture alloys for reactor cladding. |
| 12 | Scientific Research | ~100 | 0.1% | Particle accelerators (CERN) and fusion reactor magnets. |
| 13 | Optics & Glass | ~60 | <0.1% | High-refractive index lenses for cameras and eyewear. |
| 14 | Chemical Processing | ~40 | <0.1% | Corrosion-resistant vessels and heat exchangers. |
| 15 | Superconductors (Computing) | ~30 | <0.1% | Quantum computing chips and Josephson junctions. |
| 16 | Industrial Tools | ~20 | Trace | Hard-facing for drill bits and cutting tools. |
| 17 | Jewelry & Numismatics | ~10 | Trace | Hypoallergenic anodized jewelry and bi-metallic coins. |
| 18 | Space Exploration | ~10 | Trace | Satellite shielding and thruster components. |
| 19 | Telecommunications | ~5 | Trace | Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) filters for signal processing. |
| 20 | Artificial Intelligence | ~5 | Trace | Emerging neuromorphic hardware and specialized sensors. |
Major Individual Company Purchasers
- ArcelorMittal: The world’s largest steelmaker outside of China, they are a primary purchaser of Ferroniobium for their global HSLA steel production lines.
- China Baowu Steel Group: The world's largest steel producer by volume; they consume massive quantities of Niobium for China's domestic infrastructure and automotive sectors.
- Nippon Steel Corporation: A major Japanese purchaser that uses Niobium to produce high-end automotive steels and earthquake-resistant structural materials.
- Tesla, Inc.: Increasingly influential in the Niobium market due to their interest in Niobium-based battery technology (to enable fast charging) and high-strength body castings.
- GE Aerospace: A major purchaser of high-purity Niobium for the nickel-based superalloys used in the LEAP and GE9X jet engines.
- Rolls-Royce Holdings: Utilizes Niobium for advanced aerospace turbine components and nuclear reactor technologies.
- Siemens Healthineers: One of the world's largest purchasers of Niobium-Titanium wire for the manufacturing of superconducting MRI magnets.
- POSCO: South Korea’s leading steelmaker, purchasing Niobium for specialty steels used in the shipbuilding and automotive industries.
- ThyssenKrupp AG: A major European industrial group that utilizes Niobium for both high-performance steel and specialized chemical plant equipment.
Caution: This content was sourced and arranged by AI and thus may be subject to errors, biases, omissions, or antiquation.
This information can provide a general sense of industry dynamics, but may be unreliable in its specifics, or as an isolated basis for investment decisions.