Discovery Information
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Who: Anders Ekeberg |
When: 1802 |
Where: Sweden |
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Name Origin
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From king Tantalus of Greek mythology. |
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Sources
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Chiefly occurs in the mineral tantalite and euxenite (as well as samarskite and fergusonite). Always found with niobium. Tantalum ores are mined in Australia, Brazil, Eqypt, Canada, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Nigeria, Portugal,
Malaysia and Thailand.
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Uses
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Used to produce metals that have high melting points, are strong and have good ductility. Alloyed with other metals, it is
also used in making carbide tools for metalworking equipment and in the production of superalloys for jet engine components,
chemical process equipment, nuclear reactors, and missile parts. Because of its ductility, tantalum can be drawn into fine
wires or filaments, which are used for evaporating metals such as aluminium.
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Tantalum pentoxide is used in capacitors, condensers, cutting tools, vacuum tube filaments and in camera lenses to increase
refracting power. Because it is totally immune to the action of body liquids and is nonirritating it is widely used in making
surgical appliances.
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Notes
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The metal is renowned for its resistance to corrosion by acids; in fact, at temperatures below 150'C tantalum is almost completely
immune to attack by the normally aggressive aqua regia. It can only be dissolved with hydrofluoric acid or acidic solutions
containing the fluoride ion and sulfur trioxide (SO3).
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Previously know as tantalium. |