Niobium powder was made from potassium heptafluoroniobite () as the raw material using sodium (Na) as a reducing agent based on the hunter process. The apparatus for the experiment was designed and built specifically for the present study. The niobium particle size greatly increased as the reduction temperature increased from to . The particle size was fairly uniform, varying from to depending on the reduction temperatures. The niobium powder morphology and particle size are very sensitive to a reaction temperature in the metallothermic reduction process. The yield of niobium powder increased from 55% to 80% with a increasing a reaction temperature.

• 윤재식 | Yoon Jae-Sik
• 이영미 | Lee Young-Mi
• 황선호 | Hwang Sun-Ho
• 김병일 | Kim Byung-Il