Characteristics

Tantalum is the 73rd element of the periodic table of Mendeleev, where it is designated as Ta. It is a steel-gray metal with a bluish cast due to the presence of surface oxides. Until 1844, tantalum and niobium were thought to be the same metal and were called columbite - after the mineral found in Colombia - until the German chemist Rose proved that the mineral columbite contains two different elements. Metallic tantalum was obtained in 1903 by the German scientist W. Bolten. Because of the difficulty of smelting it, the metal was named after the mythological hero Tantalus. The richest deposits of tantalum are in France, Australia, Egypt, Thailand and China. Stable 181Ta has in ores a small admixture (1:1000) of radioactive 180Ta with a half-life of a thousand billion years.

Physical and chemical properties

Ta is a heat-resistant and refractory metal, as hard and as malleable as gold. Its melting point is 2996 °C, and it boils at 5300 °C. Its density is 16.6 g/cm³, It is chemically inert, it does not react with liquid alkali metals, with most acids and corrosive gases, but it reacts with molten alkalis. It is stable in air at normal temperature. Oxidation starts above 280 °C. A characteristic feature of tantalum is its ability to absorb nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen is absorbed at a maximum rate at almost 500 °C, with the formation of hydrides. The absorbed hydrogen makes the metal brittle, but when heated further above 600 °C in a vacuum, the hydrogen is almost all released and the tantalum restores its former mechanical properties. Nitrogen absorption begins at 600 °C, with more heat forming nitrite, which melts at t° 3087 °C.

Use

Tantalum was first used in 1903 for filament of electric lamps, but within 10 years it was substituted by more profitable tungsten. Tantalum was in great demand when the electric vacuum technology was developed to manufacture radar, radio-technical and X-ray equipment. Tantalum has a valuable combination of virtues: high emissivity and heat resistance. Its ability to absorb gases helps maintain a deep vacuum in electric vacuum devices. Tantalum coatings are as attractive as chromium or nickel. And not just externally. Methods have been developed for coating large items (pipes, crucibles, sheets, rocket nozzles) with tantalum of varying thickness; the coating can be applied to different materials - steel, copper, graphite, etc. Interestingly, the strength of the coating exceeds the strength of technical tantalum by 3-3.5 times. This metal is alloyed with heat and corrosion resistant alloys - nozzles for production of artificial silk, tubes for the needs of petrochemical industry and nuclear power. In the heat exchangers for nuclear boilers tantalum is difficult to replace, because more than other metals are stable in the superheated melts and cesium vapors. Heat-resistant tantalum alloys are used to make parts for turbojet engines. Tantalum is used for making the metal jacket of armor-piercing shaped charge shells.

Supply

We supply certified hot-rolled and cold-rolled tantalum rolled steel at optimal prices. The specification reflects the data on the percentage composition and mechanical qualities of products. From us it is easy to buy in bulk any semi-finished products for large-scale production. We also cooperate with retail buyers. High level of service, compliance with GOST and international quality standards, prompt service is the face of our company.

Tantalum pipe

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All products of rare and refractory metals, sold by Evek GmbH meet GOST and international quality standards. We supply tantalum tubes of standard and non-standard sizes in the shortest terms. High quality, reasonable prices and a wide range of products determine the face of our company. By becoming our regular customer you can count on a system of discount discounts. Cooperation with us will help you realize any engineering plans. We are waiting for your orders on our site.