INTRODUCTION
Tantalum is a white, ductile, malleable metallic element and one of the transition elements of the periodic table.It was named for Tantalus, king of Lydia and son of Zeus in Greek mythology.
Tantalum and Niobium metals always occur together, and the distinction between the minerals is arbitrary; if columbium is in excess the ore is called columbite, or tantalite if tantalum is in excess.
BASIC INFORMATIONS
- Atomic Number
- 73
- Atomic Mass
- 180.9479
- Atomic radius
- 0.134
- Ionization energy
- 760
- Electronic config
- 2,8,18,32,11,2
- Principal Valency
- +2
- Density g/cm³
- 16.65
- Melting point °C
- 3017
- Boiling point °C
- 5458
- Type of Element
- Metal
- Electronegativity
- 1.5
- Element Category
- Vanadium Group
- Appearance
- White solid
- Block
- d-block
- Period
- 6
- Group
- 5
- No of Isotopes
- 37
- Occurrence
- Combine form
- Abundance in ppm
- 1.7
- Year of Discovery
- 1802
EXTRACTION
It is extracted by electrolysis or chemical reduction
OXIDATION STATES
+5,+4,+3,+2,-1 (Mildly acidic)
MAJOR SOURCE
Tantalite
EXAMPLES OF COMPOUND PRESENT
Tantalum pentoxide, Tantalic acid, Potassium tantalifluoride
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
* Due to its resistant than platinum to many corrosive agents, tantalum has largely replaced platinum in standard weights and in laboratory ware.
* Tantalum is use for capacitors in electronic circuits and rectifiers in low-voltage circuits, such as railway-signaling systems.
* Due to its resistance to attack by acids of the human body and its compatability with body tissue, it is used to pin together broken bones.
* Tantalum is used in surgical and dental instruments and in chemical heat exchangers.
