Patent ID: 7054142

Claim:
A niobium alloy powder characterized in that the niobium alloy powder comprises any one or more selected from the group consisting of: molybdenum: 0.002 to 20% by mass, chromium: 0.002 to 20% by mass, tungsten: 0.002 to 20% by mass, phosphorus: 0.002 to 5% by mass, and boron: 0.002 to 5% by mass, and the niobium alloy powder further comprises: hydrogen: 0.005 to 0.10% by mass, the balance being substantially niobium, wherein the specific surface area of the powder is from 1 to 20 m 2 /g; the powder has a cumulative pore volume of 0.2 ml/g or more by mercury porosimetry; and the cumulative volume of the pores each having a diameter of 1 μm or less makes up 10% or more and the cumulative volume of the pores each having a diameter of 10 μm or less makes up 40% or more in relation to the total cumulative pore volume.