Harry visited the niobium mines in Araxa, Brazil, as a part of a meeting organised by CBMM on the heat affected zones of pipeline steel welds.

Arrival in Sao Paulo |

Spotted Professor Bob Cochrane (Leeds Universtiy) in the immigration queue |

Sao Paulo airport |

Sao Paulo airport |

Sao Paulo airport |

Sao Paulo airport |

Waiting for the flight to Araxa |

Checking in for Araxa |

Steve Webster and Bob Cochrane |

Shinohara from Nippon Steel |

Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metals are amalgamating to form one company |

In the CBMM lounge in Sao Paulo, waiting for departure to Araxa |

In the CBMM lounge in Sao Paulo, waiting for departure to Araxa |

The plane for Araxa |

A view from the plane |

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After landing at the airport in Araxa |

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After landing at the airport in Araxa |

After landing at the airport in Araxa |

After landing at the airport in Araxa |

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The hotel in Araxa - this is a spiral welded steel pipe |

The hotel in Araxa |

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The hotel in Araxa |

The hotel in Araxa |

Courtesy of CBMM |

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The hotel in Araxa |

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The essence of Brazil |

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Sign in coach leading to the CBMM mine |

At the mine. |

A tree planting ceremony |

Children of CBMM employees, greeting us |

... with a lovely set of energetic songs |

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Professor Elena Pereloma helping to plant the tree |

She is from Woolongong University in Australia |

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Bob Cochrane |

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John Speer from the Colorado School of Mines does his bit. |

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Ferroniobium |

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There is also a wildlife sanctuary at CBMM |

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Wolf |

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Giant ant eater |

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Exotic flora |

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The ore contains about 2 wt% or niobium in the form of pyrochlore (containign niobium pentoxide in the form (Ca,Na)2(Nb,Ta,Ti)2O6(OH,F)). It is first enriched by floatation and then heated in an electric arc furnace with aluminium and iron. |

The aluminium reacts to liberate niobium which dissolves in the iron to produce ferroniobium |

Here the slag (alumina rich) is being tapped. |

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We then visited the laboratories |

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This is the mine, which contains at least 200 years worth of reserves |

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The niobium mine. |

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The factory where the ore is processed is exceptionally clean. |

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The entire technology has been developed by CBMM |

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The final product |

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Here for shipment to China |

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Some of the pure niobium produced from niobium oxide is electron beam refined to extremely high purity. |

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Grain structures of the electron beam refined material |

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This is the electron beam melter |

This is the electron beam melter |

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This is the electron beam melter |

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The conference |

Here Malcolm Gray is being presented with a rare, niobium watch, in recognition of his services to CBMM. |

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 David Delagostini Jarreta (on the left) and Daniel Pallos Fridman, both with CBMM
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