Appearance and Characteristics
Harmful effects:
Tantalum is considered to be non-toxic.
Characteristics:
Tantalum is a rare, shiny, gray, dense metal. It is highly ductile and can be drawn into a thin wire.
Its chemical properties are very similar to those of niobium. Tantalum is highly corrosion resistant due to the formation of an oxide film. It is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity. The metal has a melting point exceeded only by tungsten and rhenium. Tantalum is one of the five major refractory metals (metals with very high resistance to heat and wear). The other refractory metals are tungsten, molybdenum, rhenium and niobium.
Uses of Tantalum
Tantalum is used in the electronics industry for capacitors and high power resistors. It is also used to make alloys to increase strength, ductility and corrosion resistance. The metal is used in dental and surgical instruments and implants, as it causes no immune response.