Tantalum
Tantalum
Tantalum is an important component in many modern technologies,
Despite its importance in the world today, tantalum mining takes place in very few countries. Only four countries produced tantalum in 2016, and most was mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Africa. Rwanda took the top spot for tantalum mining in 2015, but in 2016 the DRC took the lead again,
producing about 40 percent of the world’s tantalum. and is used in capacitors for everything from computers to mobile phones.
The mineral group tantalite [(Fe, Mn)Ta2O6] is the primary source of the chemical element tantalum. It is chemically similar to columbite, and the two are often grouped together as a semi-singular mineral called coltan or “columbite-tantalite” in many mineral guides. However, tantalite has a much greater specific gravity than columbite
(8.0+ compared to columbite’s 5.2).[2] Iron-rich tantalite is the mineral tantalite-(Fe) or ferrotantalite and manganese-rich is tantalite-(Mn) or manganotantalite.
Formula:(Mn,Fe)(Ta,Nb)2O6
An obsolete group name for minerals with the general formula (Mn,Fe)(Ta,Nb)2O6, equivalent to the Tantalite-(Fe)-Tantalite-(Mn) Series. Generally mangan-dominant members are more abundant in nature. Many specimens called tantalite actually belong to the columbite series or tapiolite series.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
- Ta205: 35.14
- Nb205: 17.90
- SnO2: 10.99
- Fe2O3: 32.65
- WO3:0.04
- U3O8:0.068