Niobium
Geochemical Symbol: Nb
Typical Detection Limit (Aqua Regia/ICP): 5 ppm. NOTE: many Nb-bearing minerals are resistant to strong-acid digestion as routinely applied
in commercial geochemical labs
Typical Detection Limit (Neutron Activation): N/A
Detectability
Unknown
Exploration Geochemical Applications
1. As a Pathfinder
Elevated Nb values are associated with alkaline rocks, including kimberlites, though typical detection limits
in common multielement packages may be too high for this purpose
2. As an Aid to Geological Mapping
See pathfinder applications
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