Tantalum : List Of 24 Minerals
The Central Government recently notified a list of 24 minerals, including Tantalum, in Part D of the First Schedule of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act (MMDR) Act, 1957, as Critical and Strategic minerals.
- Tantalum is a rare metal with the symbol Ta and atomic number 73.
- Raw tantalum rarely occurs in nature. Instead, it is typically found in the ore columbite-tantalite (usually referred to as coltan).
- Major Producers: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Brazil and Nigeria.
- It is Classified as a transition metal, Tantalum is a solid at room temperature.
- It is a shiny, silvery metal which is soft when it is pure.
- It is almost immune to chemical attacks at temperatures below 150 degrees Celsius.
- Tantalum is virtually resistant to corrosion due to an oxide film on its surface.
- When pure, tantalum is ductile, meaning it can be stretched, pulled, or drawn into a thin wire or thread without breaking.
- It belongs to a class of metals known as refractory metals, which are defined by their strong resistance to heat and wear.
- It has an extremely high melting point, exceeded only by tungsten and rhenium.
- It is most prominently used in the electronic sector.
- The capacitors made from tantalum are capable of storing more electricity in smaller sizes without much leakage than any other type of capacitor.
