Niobium (Nb)
Discovered in 1801 in an ore, the name niobium officially replaced the name 'columbium' in 1950 after 100 years of controversy.
Niobium is a soft, shiny white, ductile metal that becomes bluish with long exposure to air. Eighteen isotopes of niobium are known.
It is found in niobite, niobite-tantalite, parochlore, and euxenite, and large deposits are associated with carbon-silicate rocks.
Niobium is used in arc-welding rods and for advanced airframe systems used in space travel. Its superconductive properties have helped to make magnets that retain their superconductivity in the presence of strong magnetic fields.