Chemical Properties of Tantalum

Tantalum is a rare, shiny, blue or gray, hard metal. It is ductile when pure. Tantalum occurs naturally in the mineral tantalite, often found together with "niobium," a soft gray metallic element.

Corrosion Resistant

• Tantalum is highly immune to chemical attack at temperatures under 150 degree C. It is not attacked by any acid solution except hydrofluoric acid, free sulfur trioxide, and acidic solutions containing fluoride ions.

Gettering Ability

• At high temperatures, tantalum attains good "gettering" ability. This is due to the fact that although, at high temperatures, tantalum is inert toward most gases but it absorbs hydrogen gas molecules several hundred times to its volume becoming much more reactive.

Oxides

• Tantalum is able to form oxides as it has two oxidation states, +5 and +4, respectively. Tantalum pentoxide is the most stable oxide of the metal tantalum having the oxidation state of +5.

Hydrolysis

• Tantalum is hydrolyzed by water at elevated temperature and pressure conditions, forming a black chemical compound called tantalum tetrachloride.

High Melting Point

• Tantalum has an atomic number of 73. The metal has an excessive high melting point only surpassed by rhenium and tungsten.