Tantalum (Ta)

Tantalum (symbol Ta) is the chemical element with atomic number 73: a transition metal, solid at 0 °C, with an atomic mass of 180.95 u. Discovered in 1802 (Anders Gustaf Ekeberg).

Tantalum is a metal that is extremely resistant to corrosion and perfectly tolerated by the human body. It makes it possible to build tiny, reliable capacitors found in almost every electronic device. Its mining, particularly in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, has funded armed groups.

Key facts

Atomic number: 73
Symbol: Ta
French name: Tantale
Atomic mass: 180.95 u
Molar mass: 180.95 g/mol
Family: Transition metals
Position: period 6, group 5, d-block
State at 0 °C: Solid
Melting point: 3,016.9 °C
Boiling point: 5,457.9 °C
Density: 16.69 g/cm³
Electronegativity (Pauling): 1.5
First ionization energy: 728 kJ/mol
Atomic radius: 145 pm
Electron configuration: [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d³ 6s²
Abundance in Earth's crust: 2 ppm (53rd most abundant element)
Indicative price: 310 $/kg (order of magnitude)
Radioactive: no
Discovery: 1802, Anders Gustaf Ekeberg

Origin of the name

From Tantalus, a figure in Greek mythology.

What does tantalum look like?

A very dense (16.7 g/cm³) blue-gray metal, hard yet ductile. It melts at around 3,020 °C.

Where is tantalum found?

About 2 ppm of Earth's crust. It is found mainly in coltan, a mix of columbite and tantalite, often in pegmatites (coarse-grained granitic rocks).

Natural sources

Tantalite
Coltan (columbite-tantalite)
Microlite

How is tantalum produced?

The ore is dissolved in hydrofluoric acid, tantalum is separated from niobium by solvent extraction, then reduced with sodium. A large share comes from artisanal mines in Central Africa.

Top producers

Democratic Republic of the Congo
Rwanda
Brazil
Nigeria

What is tantalum used for?

Miniature capacitors in phones, computers and cars.
Surgical implants and prostheses.
Superalloys for aircraft turbines.
Acid-resistant equipment for the chemical industry.

In everyday life

A smartphone
A laptop
A game console
An orthopedic implant or pacemaker

Role in living things

No biological role, but outstanding biocompatibility: bone can even grow directly against it.

Hazards of tantalum

Very low toxicity as a metal. The dust can irritate the lungs and catch fire. The main issues are ethical: working conditions and the financing of armed conflict.

Cosmic origin

Neutron stars: Created when two neutron stars collide — the “forge” of gold.
Dying stars: Made slowly in red giants (stars like the Sun at the end of their lives).

History of tantalum

The Swede Anders Gustaf Ekeberg discovered it in 1802. He named it after Tantalus, the mythological figure condemned never to drink, because its oxide doesn't “drink” acids. It was confused with niobium until the work of Heinrich Rose (1844) and Marignac (1866).

Did you know?

Tantalum-180m is the only nuclear isomer (a nucleus in a long-lived excited state) that has existed naturally since Earth formed; no one has ever seen it decay.
The US Dodd-Frank Act (2010) requires companies to check where their tantalum comes from.
Niobium, its inseparable neighbor, is named after Niobe, daughter of Tantalus.

Isotopes of tantalum

Natural tantalum is almost entirely tantalum-181. But it also holds a treasure: tantalum-180m, the rarest naturally occurring nuclide and the only excited nuclear state found in nature, which no one has ever seen decay.

tantalum-180m: 0.012% of natural tantalum, stable. The only naturally occurring nuclear isomer: its predicted decay has never been observed.
tantalum-181: 99.988% of natural tantalum, stable
tantalum-182: radioactive, half-life 115 days

Related elements

Same family (transition metals): Scandium (Sc), Titanium (Ti), Vanadium (V), Chromium (Cr), Manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe), Cobalt (Co), Nickel (Ni), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Yttrium (Y), Zirconium (Zr), Niobium (Nb), Molybdenum (Mo), Technetium (Tc), Ruthenium (Ru), Rhodium (Rh), Palladium (Pd), Silver (Ag), Cadmium (Cd), Hafnium (Hf), Tungsten (W), Rhenium (Re), Osmium (Os), Iridium (Ir), Platinum (Pt), Gold (Au), Mercury (Hg), Rutherfordium (Rf), Dubnium (Db), Seaborgium (Sg), Bohrium (Bh), Hassium (Hs).

Same column (group 5): Vanadium (V), Niobium (Nb), Dubnium (Db).