In the Periodic Table, tantalum is in the fifth group among refractory metals. It has a special chemical resistance and does not react to all substances. But it is easy to machine. Read more about the properties and uses of tantalum below.
Metal Confusion
The history of metal is very confusing. For a long time he was mistaken for niobium, and it took more than 30 years to prove the opposite. Until the beginning of the 19th century, both metals were not known to science. In 1801, Colombia was found in South America. A year later, in Sweden and Finland, Anders Ekeberg discovered a mineral with particles of an unknown metal, which he called tantalum in honor of a mythical character.
In 1809, William Wollaston compared two substances new to chemistry. Their properties were very similar, which is why the scientist concluded that all this is one and the same metal. Friedrich Wöhler confirmed his conclusions, and since then they have put an equal sign between Colombia and tantalum.
In the mid 40-ies of the XIX century, Heinrich Rose doubted the claims of his predecessors. He established that tantalum and colombia are separate elements. To emphasize the similarity of metals, he renamed Colombia to niobium in honor of the legendary daughter of Tantalus. Later, the conclusions of Rose were repeatedly confirmed, and he himself is often credited with the discovery of niobium.
Tantalum Flour
The first industrial use of tantalum happened in 1903: they began to make incandescent filaments for light bulbs from it. However, to use metal, scientists had to work hard. From the moment it was opened, they could not be isolated in pure form. It is assumed that precisely because of this he was nicknamed tantalum.
According to the mythology of ancient Greece, Tantalus was the son of Zeus and the Phrygian queen. Unlike other mortals, he was allowed to attend the feasts of the gods on Olympus. Having insulted them once, he was sent to the underworld to experience terrible torment.
For centuries, Tantalus has stood up to the neck in the lake, and over it hangs a branch with juicy fruits. Each time he tries to drink water or pluck the fruit, they move away from him. The inability to get something very desirable or what is right in front of you is called "tantalum torment." Perhaps they were tested by chemists until the 20th century, when they could not separate the metal from various impurities.
Tantalum Properties
In the Periodic Table, tantalum is indicated by the symbol Ta. With atomic number 73, he stands after niobium and in front of the club. Outwardly, tantalum looks like a silver-white shiny metal. It is quite hard and heavy. The density of tantalum (16.65 g / cm³), and its plasticity is compared with gold.
This metal is very machinable. From it you can easily make a thin sheet of foil or wire. To melt tantalum, you need a high temperature - 3017 ° C, and to boil - 5458 ° C. For comparison, the temperature of the solar surface is 5,500 ° C.
In chemical terms, it is very stable. Tantalum does not react to many aggressive substances and does not dissolve in dilute acids, but only in a mixture of nitric and hydrofluoric acids. It is also indifferent to air and oxidizes on it only at temperatures above 280 ° C.
Due to its special resistance, the scope of tantalum is quite wide. In powder form, it is more active. For example, it burns well in air, forming tantalum oxide.
Deposits and Production
The share of tantalum in the earth's crust is 0.0002%, which makes it a rare metal. In nature, it is very dispersed and is present only in the form of two isotopes: tantalum 181 and tantalum 180. The latter is radioactive and has a half-life of 10 15 years.
The metal has 20 of its own minerals (vodzhinit, loparite, columbite-tantalite), and about 60, in which it is often found. Its constant companion is niobium, it is present in all rocks with tantalum. But they are rarely quite suitable for industrial development. The most used mineral is columbite tantalite.
Tantalum production is not always a profitable business. The largest metal deposits are in Brazil, Australia, Nigeria, USA, France, Egypt. They also exist in Mozambique, Thailand, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Russia.
In some countries in Africa, metal mining is done in artisanal ways. Armed conflicts often occur over land ownership with valuable mineral deposits. Since the demand for tantalum is only increasing, it periodically also appears in the center of these events. In particular, the "Tantalum Wars" over the past decades has made the Republic of Congo famous. In 2017, a kilogram of metal in the world market is estimated at about $ 320.
Fields of application
Tantalum is an important material for the development of high technology. Today, metal is used in electronics to create capacitors. They can be made very small, which is convenient for the production of gadgets. Therefore, tantalum capacitors are present in almost all smartphones, laptops and tablets.
The internal resistivity of the metal is almost like that of steel, so the use of tantalum is logical where high temperature is needed. It is used in various heating elements, for example, for high-temperature furnaces.
In addition, metal is useful for making lenses. Adding its oxide to the glass increases their optical properties. Heat resistant alloys resistant to corrosion are made from tantalum with the addition of titanium. Metal carbide tools are made from its carbide.
It is also suitable for the production of dies, laboratory glassware, aerospace technology. Recently, tantalum is increasingly gaining the glory of jewelry metal and is used to make jewelry.
Tantalum in medicine
Metal is used in surgery to restore the body. Thin tantalum plates are inserted into the skull to bridge cracks or breaks. Strong bones made of this metal hold the bones together and sew organ tissues with it.
It is used for prostheses. For example, a metal net is used for eyeballs, and ears can be replaced with plates, transplanting skin from other parts of the body onto them. Tantalum strings serve as a real jewel case: they sew the finest nerve fibers, tendons, blood vessels.
The use of tantalum in medicine is due to its unique properties. Metal is perfectly compatible with living tissue. It does not oxidize in the body, does not cause irritation and rejection.