tantalum
Sign in to saveTantalum is a chemical element; it has symbol Ta and atomic number 73. It is named after Tantalus, a figure in Greek mythology. Tantalum is a very hard, ductile, lustrous, blue-gray transition metal that is highly corrosion-resistant. It is part of the refractory metals group, which are widely used as components of strong high-melting-point alloys. It is a group 5 element, along with vanadium and niobium, and it always occurs in geologic sources together with the chemically similar niobium, mainly in the mineral groups tantalite, columbite, and coltan.
AI overview
Tantalum is a hard, gray metal that resists corrosion extremely well and can withstand very high temperatures, making it valuable for creating strong alloys used in demanding applications. Because it naturally occurs alongside niobium in certain minerals and is named after a figure from Greek mythology, tantalum is an important industrial material that belongs to a special group of metals prized for their strength and durability at extreme conditions.
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Article
22 sectionsContents
- History
- Characteristics
- Physical properties
- Isotopes
- Chemical compounds
- Oxides, nitrides, carbides, sulfides
- Halides
- Organotantalum compounds
- Occurrence
- Status as a conflict resource
- Production and fabrication
- Electrolysis
- Fabrication and metalworking
- Applications
- Electronics
- Alloys
- Surgical uses
- Other uses
- Environmental issues
- Precautions
- References
- External links
Tantalum is a chemical element; it has symbol Ta and atomic number 73. It is named after Tantalus, a figure in Greek mythology. Tantalum is a very hard, ductile, lustrous, blue-gray transition metal that is highly corrosion-resistant. It is part of the refractory metals group, which are widely used as components of strong high-melting-point alloys. It is a group 5 element, along with vanadium and niobium, and it always occurs in geologic sources together with the chemically similar niobium, mainly in the mineral groups tantalite, columbite, and coltan.
The chemical inertness and very high melting point of tantalum make it valuable for laboratory and industrial equipment such as reaction vessels and vacuum furnaces. It is used in tantalum capacitors for electronic equipment such as computers. It is being investigated for use as a material for high-quality superconducting resonators in quantum processors.