Tantalum

Element Name: Tantalum
Atomic Number: 73
Atomic Mass: 180.97488
Atomic Symbol: Ta
Melting Point: 3017° C
Boiling Point: 5458° C

Tantalum is a hard gray metal that is incredibly resistant to corrosion and other chemical attacks. Its oxide is very stable and has important electrical properties, making them a good material for capacitors. It is ductile and can be made into a thin wire in its elemental form. Tantalum is usually found between +3 and +5 for its oxidation state, but a -1 state has been found. Tantalum comes from the name of the Greek villain “Tantalus”, a reference to how tantalizing it was to try to isolate and discover the element. It’s also important to note that niobium is named after Tantalus’ daughter, Niobe. There are two natural isotopes of tantalum, one of which is stable and the other metastable (meaning that it has an incredibly long half-life – 2 * 1016 years at minimum in this case). There are 35 other radioisotopes known.

Interesting Facts:

Tantalum does not interact with the immune system, making it a good choice of metal in several medical treatments. It is non-magnetic and is not worn down by body fluids while having exceptional strength. Because of it this it is safe in MRIs and a good choice in orthopedic procedures like hip replacements. Tantalum readily grabs oxygen and nitrogen, so it is used in ultra high frequency radios to maintain the vacuum necessary for operation. Tantalum has been proposed as a salting agent in nuclear weapons. A salting agent is something that forms extremely radioactive isotopes in the presence of a nuclear reaction, and would cause the fallout to be much more deadly.

Sources:

Tantalum is not found as a free element in nature. Rather, it is found in minerals, usually in conjunction with its neighbor above it, niobium. Tantalite and columbite are the most important minerals for finding tantalum, but other species, like microlite, wodginite, euxenite, and polycrase, have appreciable amounts. In the past decade the world’s tantalum suppliers have shifted dramatically. Australia used to supply much of the world’s tantalum, but is has cut production. In its place several unstable African countries have began filling the niche, granting tantalum its status as a conflict resource. Tantalum is relatively scarce, only being found at 1.7 parts per million in the earth’s crust.

Industrial Uses:

The most prodigious use of tantalum is in the electrics industry, where it is used to make capacitors and resistors. Tantalum has good electrical properties, and its ability to be drawn into a thin wire makes it ideal for smartphones, computers, and cars. Alloying tantalum with other metal can make the metal stronger, more ductile, and more resilient to corrosion. Superalloys which possess tantalum are used in jet engines and nuclear reactors. Lab equipment is often made out of tantalum since its inert to most things aside from hydrofluoric acid, heated sulfuric acid, and heated alkalines. Tantalum’s high density, high melting point, and strength also makes it a good choice in shaped charge and penetrating explosives. Tantalum oxide makes special highly refractive glass for camera lenses.

References:

“Facts About Tantalum.” Livescience. Livescience.com, 19 Aug. 2013. Web. 26 July
2016.
“Tantalum.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 26 July 2016.
“Tantalum Element Facts / Chemistry.” Chemicool. Chemicool.com, 18 Oct. 2012.
Web. 26 July 2016.
Gray, Theodore W., and Nick Mann. The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every
Known Atom in the Universe. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2009. Print.