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Special Characteristics of Tantalum

Tantalum is a grayish silver, hard and heavy metal. Tantalum is soft when it is pure and free of extraneous elements and can be brought into fine wire. Thin wire made of pure tantalum is used as a filament for vaporizing metals like aluminum.

  1. Refractory metals group

    • Tantalum belongs to refractory metals group, which are extensively used in making alloys. Similarly, most other refractory metals, the hard forms of tantalum are stable carbides and nitrides, such as tantalum carbide and tantalum nitride.

    Chemical inertness

    • Tantalum is highly tolerant to chemical attack. This is why tantalum is a valuable substance in making laboratory equipment. Tantalum also supersedes more precious metal, platinum in many chemical reactions.

    High melting and boiling points

    • Tantalum is used in the manufacturing of different types of alloys with desirable properties, including high strength, high boiling point and high melting point.

    Corrosive resistant

    • Tantalum is highly corrosion resistant due to a thin coating or layer of oxide, which forms on its surface.

    Salting property

    • Tantalum has been suggested for nuclear weapon technology for its special "salting property." It significantly increases the radioactivity of the weapon's fallout for many months.

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