Tantalum [Ta] (CAS-ID: 7440-25-7) locate me
An: 73 N: 108 Am: 180.9479
Group No: 5  Group Name: (none)
Block: d-block  Period: 6
State: solid at 298 K
Colour: grey blue  Classification: Metallic
Boiling Point: 5731K (5458'C)
Melting Point: 3290K (3017'C)
Density: 16.69g/cm3
Shell Structure diagram | Atomic Radius diagram
Isotopes | More Info
Discovery Information
Who: Anders Ekeberg
When: 1802
Where: Sweden
Name Origin
From king Tantalus of Greek mythology.
Sources
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.
Uses
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.
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.
Notes
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).
Previously know as tantalium.
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