By Shane Lasley
Mining News
Critical Minerals AK – Indispensable Twins
Niobium, tantalum are closely related metals with nuanced properties that make them critical to many economic sectors North of 60 Mining News – December 1, 2018
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Last updated 9/25/2020 at 7:31am
European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN)
Eight niobium-rich superconducting magnets called toroids radiate out from the ATLAS detector in the Large Hadron Collider. This is the largest superconducting magnet on earth.
With nearly indistinguishable physical and chemical properties, niobium and tantalum are almost always found together in nature. Both are also critical to the defense, energy and high-tech sectors in the United States, but neither are mined domestically. For these reasons, the United States Geological Survey considers these transition metals "indispensable twins" that are critical to America's...
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