Tantalum (Ta), atomic number 73, atomic weight 180.9479, light gray metal, melting point 2996°C, boiling point 5425°C, specific gravity 16.6 g/cm, body centered cubic structure.
Tantalum has high melting point, low vapor pressure, low coefficient of expansion, good ductility and processing properties, dense oxide film and good dielectric properties. Therefore, tantalum is mainly used for making electrolytic capacitors. Tantalum is also a good material for high power vacuum tube parts, which can be used to make anode, gate and cathode. Tantalum has good high temperature performance and can be used as supporting accessories, heat shield, heater and heat sink in high temperature vacuum furnace. Tantalum is also an excellent superconducting material.
Tantalum is especially stable in chemical properties and has good corrosion resistance. It can only dissolve in sulfuric acid and strong alkali solution at high temperature. The equipment made by tantalum is widely used in strong acid, bromine, ammonia and other chemical industries.
In addition, tantalum is also an important addition to smelting super steel, corrosion resistant steel and heat resistant steel. Tantalum carbide is a good cutting tool material with great hardness, which can be used to replace the hardest alloy or diamond, turning tools and various kinds of drill bits. Tantalum is widely used in orthopedics and brain surgery because of its stability and healing properties with human tissues.
Tantalum strip: mainly used for superconducting barrier material;
Tantalum sheet: mainly used in electronics and textile industry;
Tantalum and Ta2.5W alloys: widely used in chemical industry, in which the corrosion resistance of tantalum tungsten alloy is better than that of pure tantalum;
Ta10W alloy: suitable for high temperature, high pressure, corrosion resistance and other working environments, widely used in chemical industry, aerospace, atomic energy industry and high temperature components and other fields.
