Niobium and tantalum

General mineralogical-geochemical and analytical characteristics of niobium and tantalum are presented. Potentialities of any analytical methods for determining these elements in various geologic samples are estimated. The following specific techniques are described: neutron + activation determination of Ta, fluorescence X-radiometric determination of Nb and Ta, fluorescence X-ray spectral determination of Nb and Ta, spectrographic determination of Nb and Ta, gravimetric determination of Nb and Ta, their extraction-photometric determination with various reagents (crystal violet, rhodamine 6 Y, butylrhodamine B)