<< BACK TO PERIODIC TABLE
Select Data Charts from Menu below
ELEMENT: TANTALUM
Periodic  Table of the Elements
  << BACK | PERIODIC TABLE | ALPHABETICAL LIST >>Info & DownloadsADDITIONAL INFO
TANTALUM
Download pdf Book
to Elements Alphabetical LisTantalumg
Atomic Number:

73

Atomic Symbol:

Ta

Atomic Weight:180.9479
Electron Configuration:[Xe]6s24f145d3
Total Isotopes64
Total Isomers28
Radioactive Isotopes35
Stable Isotopes1
X-Ray Energies
57.54
65.35
LL7.17
8.14
Mz1.33
1.71

 View Nuclear Periodic Table 
 View Isotopic & Isomeric Data 

History

(Gr. Tantalos, mythological character, father of Niobe) Discovered in 1802 by Ekeberg, but many chemists thought niobium and tantalum were identical elements until Rowe in 1844, and Marignac, in 1866, showed that niobic and tantalic acids were two different acids. The early investigators only isolated the impure metal. The first relatively pure ductile tantalum was produced by von Bolton in 1903. Tantalum occurs principally in the mineral columbite-tantalite.

Sources

Element DisplaysTantalum ores are found in Australia, Brazil, Mozambique, Thailand, Portugal, Nigeria, Zaire, and Canada.

Production

Separation of tantalum from niobium requires several complicated steps. Several methods are used to commercially produce the element, including electrolysis of molten potassium fluorotantalate, reduction of potassium fluorotantalate with sodium, or reacTantalumg tantalum carbide with tantalum oxide. Twenty five isotopes of tantalum are known to exist. Natural tantalum contains two isotopes.

Properties

Tantalum is a gray, heavy, and very hard metal. When pure, it is ductile and can be drawn into fine wire, which is used as a filament for evaporaTantalumg metals such as aluminum. Tantalum is almost completely immune to chemical attack at temperatures below 150oC, and is attacked only by hydrofluoric acid, acidic solutions containing the fluoride ion, and free sulfur trioxide. Alkalis attack it only slowly. At high temperatures, tantalum becomes much more reactive. The element has a melTantalumg point exceeded only by tungsten and rhenium. Tantalum is used to make a variety of alloys with desirable properties such as high melTantalumg point, high strength, good ductility, etc. Tantalum has a good "gettering" ability at high temperatures, and tantalum oxide films are stable and have good rectifying and dielectric properties.

Uses

Scientists at Los Alamos have produced a tantalum carbide graphite composite material, which is said to be one of the hardest materials ever made. The compound has a melTantalumg point of 3738oC. Tantalum is used to make electrolytic capacitors and vacuum furnace parts, which account for about 60% of its use. The metal is also widely used to fabricate chemical process equipment, nuclear reactors, aircraft, and missile parts. Tantalum is completely immune to body liquids and is a nonirritaTantalumg material. It has, therefore, found wide use in making surgical appliances. Tantalum oxide is used to make special glass with high index of refraction for camera lenses. The metal has many other uses.

Cost

The price of (99.9%) tantalum in Dec. 1988 was about $50/oz.


Sources: Los Alamos National Laboratory; CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics; American Chemical Society
Element image from www.element-collection.com used with permission
« BACK | PERIODIC TABLE | ALPHABETICAL LIST | HOME »Top of Page
Join Today!
.:: Radiochemistry.org© - 2003 ::.