Energy
Metallurgy and recycling of niobium and tantalum

An assessment of the energy content for the production of Ta/Nb integrates all the stages of their production [36]:

• mining ;

• concentration (grinding, magnetic and gravimetric sorting, flotation);

• chemistry (etching and separation) ;

• reduction (aluminothermic or sodiothermic) ;

• refining (electron bombardment furnace).

Energy content calculations are based on pyrochlore for ferroniobium, and niobium and tantalum metal from ore, excluding pyrochlore (table 7).

The difference in the mining sector in favor of niobium is explained by its high concentration...