TANTALUM

Tantalum products offered by WOLFTEN

Tantalum is a transition metal with the symbol Ta and atomic numer 73. Its name comes from Greek mythology after Tantalus, a demigod known for having been welcomed to Olympus, eventually turning into a villain after abusing Zeus’ hospitality and stealing ambrosia.

This metal has a very high melting point at 3017°C. It is very hard, durable, resistant to corrosion and immune to acids and bases. One of its important properties is biocompatibility.

Use and application

As a result of its high resistance to excessive temperatures, this element is an important component of superalloys, making them durable, phase-stable and increasing their machinability. Commercial superalloys usually compose of 3-12% of Ta.

ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY

condensers, diffusion batteries

CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

equipment and apparatus, pipeline systems, valves, catalytic converters, vacuum kilns, heat exchangers

JEWELRY INDUSTRY

jewelry and watchmaking products

COSMIC INDUSTRY

internal elements of combustion chambers

MEDICAL INDUSTRY

surgical and biomedical tools, parts of endoprosthesis, diagnostic equipment

Tantalum, use and applications

Tantalum and its alloys are used to produce devices and equipment used for production and processing in chemical industry. It is an ideal material for application in highly corrosive environments exposed to high temperatures. Corrosion resistance extends longevity of devices and does not contaminate chemical solutions transferred through the pipeline system made of this metal.

Ta alloys are also used in other industries: medical, aviation and electronics. They make condensers, vacuum kilns, elements of nuclear reactors or jet engines. Tantalum is susceptible to machining and welding, used in jewelry or watch making business.

Its plasticity and great corrosion resistance make it a popular material to be used in corrosive environments exposed to excessive temperatures. Heat exchangers, pipes, valves and containers for hydrogen chloride, hydrogen bromide, nitric and sulfuric acid are also made of tantalum. Due to the immunity to extreme heat, it is commonly used as a building material of high temperature kilns and furnaces as well as internal coating for space ships’ engines.