NIOBIUM: A STRATEGIC CHEMICAL ELEMENT FOR BRAZIL

Niobium, in fact, is an essential element for Brazil. Their applications are so many and so special that they put it as one of the subjects treated by the wikiLeaks site as strategic and that it should be treated in the USA. It is one of the elements most exported by Brazil and is mainly used in the production of special alloys for use in gas pipelines, air turbines, among other applications. It is believed that niobium-based materials can be obtained for applications with higher added value and in equally strategic areas. Research to obtain active and selective drugs, materials to maximize the use of renewable energy, and new nanostructured materials to improve the performance of different components are ongoing and promise a revolution for the next few years.

事实上，铌（Niobium）是巴西的关键战略元素。其应用场景多样且特性特殊，维基解密（WikiLeaks）已将其列为战略性研究议题，美国亦将其纳入重点战略关注范畴。铌是巴西出口量最高的元素之一，主要用于生产适用于输气管道、航空涡轮机等场景的特种合金。据业内推测，铌基材料可拓展至高附加值应用领域及同等重要的战略场景。当前，多项研发工作正持续推进：包括开发活性选择性药物、优化可再生能源利用效率的配套材料，以及用于提升各类组件性能的新型纳米结构材料，上述研究有望在未来数年引发产业变革。