Thermal, electrical and mechanical properties of high purity niobium and tantalum
refractory rare metals were investigated to evaluate the physical purity. Higher purity niobium and
tantalum metals showed lower hardness due to smaller solution hardening effect. Temperature
dependence of electrical resistivity showed a typical metallic behavior. Remarkable decrease in
electrical resistivity was observed for a high purity specimen at low temperature. However, thermal
conductivity increased for a high purity specimen, and abrupt increase in thermal conductivity was
observed at very low temperature, indicating typical temperature dependence of thermal
conductivity for high purity metals. It can be known that reduction of electron-phonon scattering
leads to increase in thermal conductivity of high purity niobium and tantalum metals at low
temperature.