What is Tantalum?

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About Tantalum:

It is a rare metal with symbol Ta and atomic number 73.
Occurrence: Raw tantalum rarely occurs in nature. Instead, it is typically foundin the ore columbite-tantalite (usually referred to as coltan).
Major Producers: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Brazil, and Nigeria.
Properties:
- Classified as a transition metal, Tantalum is a solid at room temperature.
- It is a shiny, silvery metal which is soft when it is pure.
- It is almost immune to chemical attack at temperatures below 150-degree celsius.
- Tantalum is virtually resistant to corrosion due to an oxide film on its surface.
- When pure, tantalum is ductile, meaning it can be stretched, pulled, or drawn into a thin wire or thread without breaking.
- It belongs to a class of metals known as refractory metals, which are defined by their strong resistance to heat and wear.
- It has an extremely high melting point, exceeded only by tungsten and rhenium.
Applications:
- It is most prominently used in the electronic sector.
- The capacitors made from tantalum are capable of storing more electricityinsmaller sizes without much leakage than any other type of capacitor.
- This makes them ideal for use in portable electronic devices such as smartphones, laptops, and digital cameras.
- As tantalum has a high melting point, it is frequently used as a substitute forplatinum, which is more expensive.
- It is also used to make components for chemical plants, nuclear power plants, aeroplanes, and missiles.
- It does not react with bodily fluids and is used to make surgical equipment and implants, like artificial joints.
- A composite consisting of tantalum carbide (TaC) and graphite is one of the hardest materials known and is used on the cutting edges of high-speed machine tools.