Tantalum
Pure tantalum is characterised by its high melting point, its exceptional resistance to chemical attack, its
capacity to store and release electrical charge and its corrosion resistance. These unique chemical
properties have led to its widespread use in the electronics and aeronautics industries and in the making
of surgical appliances.
The main use of tantalum is in the manufacture of electrolytic capacitors, used in mobile phones,
computers and automotive electronics. Additional uses are found in super alloys for turbine engines,
precision optical lenses and high temperature applications.
Key uses for tantalum
Tantalum carbide |
cutting tools |
Tantalum oxide |
camera lenses |
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X-ray film ink-jet printers |
Tantalum powder |
capacitors for widespread hi-tech electronic applications e.g. power supplies, digital video & still cameras, smart mobile phones, games consoles, I-Pods, laptops, hard drives, LCD monitors, set top box, hearing aids, pacemakers, airbag protection systems, GPS, automobile ABS systems, bar code readers, photocopiers and fax machines, pagers, smoke detectors, control systems |
Tantalum fabricated sheets, plates, rods, wires |
sputtering targets
chemical process equipment
cathodic protection systems for steel structures, e.g. bridges, water tanks prosthetic devices e.g. hips, plates in the skull, mesh to repair bone after cancer damage suture clips
corrosion resistant fasteners, screws, nuts & bolts
high temperature furnace parts
high temperature alloys for air and land-based turbines (such as jet engines) |
Source: Tantalum - Niobium International Study Centre
Aluminium and ceramics may be used as a substitute for tantalum, but normally at the expense of
performance. Niobium is used to a very limited extent in ceramic capacitors for electronics, whereas its
primary use is as an alloying element to strengthen high-strength low-alloy steels. The use of niobium as
an alternative to tantalum in capacitors is still under evaluation.
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