Tantalum is a transition metal in Group 5 of the periodic table. It has an atomic number of 73, an atomic mass of 180.9479, and a chemical symbol of Ta.

Properties

Tantalum is a very hard, malleable, ductile metal with a silvery bluish color when unpolished, but a bright silvery color when polished. It has a melting point of 5,425°F (2,996°C), a boiling point of 9,804°F (5,429°C), and a density of 16.69 grams per cubic centimeter. Its melting and boiling points are third highest among all elements after tungsten and rhenium.

Tantalum is one of the least reactive of all metals. At room temperature it reacts only with fluorine and certain fluorine compounds, although it does become more active above a temperature of about 300°F (150°C), at which point it begins to react with acids and alkalis.

Occurrence and Extraction

Tantalum ranks about 50 among the elements found in the Earth's curst with an abundance of about 1.7 parts per million. It occurs most commonly in the minerals columbite, tantalite, and microlite. The element always occurs with another chemical element, niobium.

Discovery and Naming

The discovery of tantalum is inextricably interwoven with the discovery of a second element, niobium. The two elements always occur together in the earth and are very difficult to separate from each other chemically. The distinction between the two elements was made in 1802 by the Swedish chemist and mineralogist Anders Gustaf Ekeberg (1767-1813). Ekeberg suggested the name tantalum for the element in honor of the Greek god Tantalus, a son of Zeus.

Uses

The commercial uses of tantalum are rather limited, the most important being in the production of microcapacitors. These capacitors are very small, but very efficient, and find use primarily in military weapons systems, aircraft and space vehicles, space communication systems, computers, and medical applications. Tantalum alloys are also used in laboratory equipment, weights for precise laboratory balances, fountain and ball point pen points, and a variety of medical and dental applications.