Niobium chemical symbol Nb, atomic number 41, atomic weight 92.90638, belongs to the ⅤB group of the periodic system. In 1801, British C. Hatchet isolated an oxide of a new element from niobium iron ore, and named the element as columbium (the Chinese name is columbium). Niobium is an off-white metal with a melting point of 2468°C, a boiling point of 4742°C and a density of 8.57 g/cm3.