Abstract
Tantalum— the Earth’s 49th most abundant element— is frequently produced as a by-product of tin smelting. The metal is also extracted from concentrates by reduction with sodium or fused-salt electrolysis; tantalum carbide is produced by carburization of Ta2O5 or tantalum hydride. Sintering, electric-arc melting and electron-beam melting are used to refine and purify raw tantalum. Tantalum’s unique properties make it suitable for a number of diverse applications, including capacitors, chemical equipment, hard-metal tooling and alloys. Tantalum consumption is expected to increase in the capacitor market, because of the demand for electronics equipment.
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Köck, W., Paschen, P. Tantalum—processing, properties and applications. JOM 41, 33–39 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03220360
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03220360