Columbium powder and method of making the same

A columbium anode prepared by pressing columbium powder into the shape of an anode, adding to said pressed columbium powder a phosphorus-containing material in an amount equivalent to from about 5 to about 600 parts per million of elemental phosphorus, and thereafter sintering said pressed columbium powder.

A method for improving a columbium powder which comprises adding to said powder an amount of phosphorus-containing material corresponding to from about 5 to about 600 parts per million of phosphorus.

A method of improving a columbium powder which comprises adding to said powder while it is in the form of columbium hydride an amount of phosphorus-containing material corresponding to from about 5 to about 600 parts per million of phosphorus and thereafter converting said columbium hydride to metallic columbium.

A method of forming an improved columbium anode which comprises pressing a columbium powder into the shape of an anode, adding to said pressed columbium powder a phosphorus-containing material in an amount equivalent to from about 5 to about 600 parts per million of elemental phosphorus, and thereafter sinterng said pressed columbium powder.