The way to obtain some lategame materials of GT6 is too simple, which leads to lack of interest in the lategame, so I think of niobium. The only purpose of niobium is to manufacture Nb-Ti alloy to make lightning rod. Obviously, Nb-Ti alloy is a lategame material, Therefore, it is more appropriate to add more complex treatment methods in the game balance (at present, GT6 unoffcial changes the treatment method of chromium very complex, which is no longer the direct melting of chromite into chromium, but requires a lot of complex chemical reactions, which will make it difficult for you to obtain the first stainless steel. Personally, I think the balance is not good for the earlygame, In reality, tantalum with similar treatment methods does not need to have complex treatment processes in the game (although their chemical properties are very similar), because tantalum is a part of the crucible upgrade line, which is for the sake of gameplay.
Recently, HBM added coltan (an ore containing niobium and tantalum) and tantalum for making capacitors. Capacitor circuit boards are useful in the most difficult 528 mode. HBM added a process to coltan. Although this process is not very realistic and strangely will not produce niobium (although HBM added niobium), it still has a certain reference significance.
Coltan process in HBM: the first step is to react crushed coltan with hydrogen peroxide, liquid hydrogen and coal dust (I don’t know what’s going on in this reaction) to obtain purified tantalite, water and dust. The second step is the reaction of purified tantalite with natural gas, liquid oxygen and fluorite(possibly simulating hydrofluoric acid) to obtain pandemonium (III) tantalite solution. The third step is to crystallize pandemonium (III) tantalite solution with hydrogen peroxide to obtain Tantalum Crystal, water and dust. Tantalum Crystal is melted into tantalum ingot in the furnace.
Well, it seems a little off topic. Now let’s talk about the treatment of niobium in reality (although tantalum has been talked about just now, coltan contains niobium and their chemical properties are very similar):
The first step in the processing process is the reaction with hydrofluoric acid:
Ta2O5+ 14 HF → 2 H2[TaF7] + 5 H2O
Nb2O5+ 10 HF → 2 H2[NbOF5] + 3 H2O
Then, H2 [TaF7] and H2 [NbOF5] are separated. This step is complex. The method is to use the difference of water solubility to directly generate two products in the game to simplify the process.
The next step is to add potassium fluoride to produce potassium pentafluorooxyniobate：
H2[NbOF5] + 2 KF → K2[NbOF5]↓ + 2 HF
The next step is to add ammonia and change back to niobium pentoxide. This step seems to be back to the beginning, but niobium, tantalum and other impurities in the ore have been successfully separated (it may be a little difficult for GT because the ammonia of GT6 cannot be synthesized yet)
2 H2[NbOF5] + 10 NH4OH → Nb2O5↓ + 10 NH4F + 7 H2O
There are several reduction methods from compounds to metal states. One is to electrolyze the molten mixture of K2 [NbOF5] and sodium chloride, and the other is to reduce niobium fluoride with sodium. The niobium metal obtained by this method has high purity. In large-scale production, Nb2O5 is generally reduced with hydrogen or carbon. Another method utilizes an aluminothermic reaction in which iron oxide and niobium oxide react with aluminum.
After all, here are some specific suggestions:
The ore byproduct of simple niobium is changed to coltan or columbite, which may support HBM coltan.
Less coltan is added to the tantalite ore vein.
Adding such a process chain to niobium may also add one to tantalum. In order to prevent it from being too difficult to upgrade the crucible, the recipe for direct melting of tantalite does not need to be deleted, but complex treatment must be carried out to obtain 9/2 units of tantalum (equivalent to separating tantalum and manganese), and the recipe for direct electrolysis of tantalite shall be cancelled at the same time.