Niobium is an important alloying addition for certain nickel and cobalt base superalloys for use in high temperature applications such as jet engines, gas turbines and missile motors. Niobium strengthens by forming carbides and intermetallics, and acts as a solid solution strengthener to improve hot ductility, while improving resistance to thermal shock.

In steels, stainless steels and nickel alloys, pure niobium, ferro-niobium, and nickel-niobium are added to prevent localized corrosion such as carbonization. They also form stable carbides and prevent intergranular corrosion and precipitation of undesirable phases.