Tantalum

Tantalum

Symbol	Ta
Atomic Number	73
Atomic Mass	180.948 g.mol -1
Discovered by	Anders Gustav Ekeberg in 1802

Chemical Properties of Tantalum

What is Tantalum?

• Tantalum is a chemical element with the symbol Ta and atomic number 73 in the periodic table.
• Its name originates from the name of a villain from Greek mythology, Tantalus.

Physical Properties of Tantalum

• Tantalum appears as a shiny and silvery metal in its soft and pure form.
• The metal is corrosion resistant and is bound to chemical attacks below 150^o C.
• This element is abundantly found in nature just like uranium.
• Tantalum is in the form of hard, rare, blue-grey, lustrous metal.
• The metal is said to be an excellent conductor of heat & electricity. It has a high melting point of about 3017 °C and a boiling point of about 5458 °C.
• Apart from the Hydrochloric acid, this metal shows excellent resistance to all acids at normal temperatures.
• It usually appears in the +5 oxidation state in its compounds. It is known to be one of the inert chemical elements found on the earth.

Applications of Tantalum

• It finds its applications in the field of high-temperature devices such as in the engines of aircraft
• It is used mainly as an alloying medium as it is helpful for hardening metals
• It is employed in the manufacture of capacitors
• It has a high number of medical as well as dental applications
• It is utilised in the chemical industries as it exhibits the properties of resistance to corrosion.

Health Effects of Tantalum

• Tantalum causes many health-related problems such as irritation of the skin and eye when inhaled, ingested or when it gets absorbed into the skin.
• This metal is also dangerous to mucous membranes and also the upper respiratory tract.
• This element might cause severe damage to the environment hence necessary measures need to be taken before disposing of it.