Ferrocolumbite

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Ferrocolumbite, also called niobite, columbate and columbite [(Fe, Mn)(Nb, Ta)₂O₆] is a black mineral that is an ore of niobium and tantalum. It has a submetallic luster and a high specific gravity and is a niobate of iron and manganese, containing tantalate of iron. This mineral was first found at Haddam, Middlesex County, Connecticut in New England, USA. It forms a series with the tantalum-dominant analogue Ferrotantalite and one with the manganese-dominant analogue Manganocolumbite.

In 1925, German chemists Walter Noddack, Otto Berg and Ida Tacke reported the discovery of element 43 (technetium) and named it masurium. The group bombarded columbite with a beam of electrons and deduced element 43 was present by detecting faint x-rays. The claim of discovery was dismissed due to difficulty independently duplicating the experiment's results (though simulations performed in 1999 by David Curtis of the Los Alamos National Laboratory predicted results similar to what the German team observed).Template:Inote Template:Mineral-stubde:Columbit