Description

Tantalite is part of a group of minerals that contain variable amounts of tantalum. Tantalum is a greyish silver, heavy and very hard metal that often occurs associated with fractionated pegmatite.

Applications

Tantalum has various uses such as for electronics, pigments, medical, aerospace, defense and chemical processing industries. The largest market for this metal is the capacitor industry. Tantalum powder and wire is used to make high-reliability capacitors for many of today’s critical electronics, including cell phones, laptop computers, personal digital assistants, as well as automotive and consumer electronics. Another important use is in the medical industry where tantalum “pins” are used for hip-joint replacements, as it is the only metal not rejected by the body.