ElementTantalum
SymbolTa
Atomic Mass180.9479
Atomic Number73
Name OriginsGreek, Tantalos = father of Niobe.
Year Discovered1802
Discovered CreditsDiscovered by A. G. Eceberg at Uppsala, Sweden.
RemarksShiny, silvery metal, soft when pure. Very corrosion resistant due to oxide film; attacked by HF and fused alkalis. Used in electronics as tantalum capacitors, cutting tools, chemical plants and surgery.
Diagnostic TestsThere are no simple tests to detect tantalum. Most flux reactions are not very good. Absorption Spectroscopy is used for quantitative analysis and Energy Dispersive Analysis of X-rays (EDAX) is used for qualitative analysis.
ReferencesEmsley, J., 1991; THE ELEMENTS : Sec. Ed., Clarendon Press, Oxford, 251 p.

Naturally Ocurring Isotopes :

Mass Nuclide Number Natural Abundance Half-life Half-life Unit Decay Mode Decay Mode MeV Decay Mode %
179.947462 180 0.012 % Stable
180.947992 181 99.98 % Stable
181.950149 182 0 % 114,5 Days beta - 1,811 100,00

80 Minerals sorted by % of Ta (Tantalum) :

Tantalum100.00 %Ta
Tantalcarbide93.78 %TaC
Tantite81.90 %Ta2O5
Lithiowodginite80.09 %LiTa3O8
Natrotantite76.53 %Na2Ta4O11
Tantalowodginite76.24 %(Mn2,[ ])4Ta4Ta8O32
Sosedkoite74.45 %(K,Na)5Al2(Ta,Nb)22O60
Ungursaite73.12 %NaCa5(Ta,Nb)24O65(OH)
Manganotantalite70.57 %MnTa2O6
Tapiolite70.44 %(Fe,Mn)(Ta,Nb)2O6
Ferrotantalite70.44 %Fe++Ta2O6
Irtyshite70.23 %Na2(Ta,Nb)4O11
Kimrobinsonite69.87 %Ta(OH)3(O,CO3)
Ferrotapiolite68.76 %(Fe++,Mn++)(Ta,Nb)2O6
Microlite68.41 %(Na,Ca)2Ta2O6(O,OH,F)
Lithiotantite66.55 %Li(Ta,Nb)3O8
Alumotantite66.54 %AlTaO4
Parabariomicrolite66.33 %BaTa4O10(OH)2·2H20
Bariomicrolite64.33 %Ba(Ta,Nb)2(O,OH)7
Manganotapiolite63.73 %(Mn++,Fe++)(Ta,Nb)2O6
IMA1998-01863.45 %(Na,Ca,Bi)2Ta2O6F
Thoreaulite62.76 %Sn++Ta2O6
IMA2000-02662.23 %(Mn,Li)4(Ta,Sn)4(Ta,Nb)8O32
Ferrotitanowodginite60.96 %Fe++TiTa2O8
Rynersonite59.79 %Ca(Ta,Nb)2O6
Cesstibtantite59.30 %(Cs,Na)SbTa4O12
Niobocarbide59.01 %(Nb,Ta)C
Behierite58.06 %(Ta,Nb)BO4
Rankamaite57.34 %(Na,K,Pb,Li)3(Ta,Nb,Al)11(O,OH)30
Wodginite56.99 %Mn++(Sn,Ta)(Ta,Nb)2O8
Ixiolite56.47 %(Ta,Nb,Sn,Mn++,Fe++)O2
Calciotantite56.00 %Ca(Ta,Nb)4O11
Ferrowodginite54.47 %Fe++SnTa2O8
Tantalaeschynite-(Y)54.31 %(Y,Ce,Ca)(Ta,Ti,Nb)2O6
Formanite-(Y)54.20 %YTaO4
Simpsonite53.37 %Al4(Ta,Nb)3O13(OH)
Tanteuxenite-(Y)52.69 %(Y,Ce,Ca)(Ta,Nb,Ti)2(O,OH)6
Cesplumtantite52.53 %(Cs,Na,Ca)2(Pb,Sb+++,Sn)3Ta8O24
Bismutomicrolite52.15 %(Bi,Ca)(Ta,Nb)2O6(OH)
Titanowodginite49.62 %(Mn++,Fe++)(Ti,Sn)(Ta,Nb)2O8
Stibiotantalite49.35 %SbTaO4
Uranmicrolite46.81 %(U,Ca)2(Ta,Nb)2O6(OH)
Natrobistantite45.99 %(Na,Cs)Bi(Ta,Nb,Sb)4O12
Plumbomicrolite45.51 %(Pb,Ca,U)2Ta2O6(OH)
Stibiomicrolite43.80 %(Sb,Ca,Na)2(Ta,Nb)2(O,OH)7
Loranskite-(Y)42.86 %(Y,Ce,Ca)ZrTaO6 (?)
Schiavinatoite41.36 %(Nb,Ta)BO4
Yttrotantalite-(Y)40.12 %(Y,U,Fe++)(Ta,Nb)O4
Zimbabweite38.65 %Na(Pb,Na,K)2(Ta,Nb,Ti)4As+++4O18
Jedwabite38.29 %Fe7(Ta,Nb)3
Stannomicrolite34.06 %(Sn++,Fe++,Mn++)(Ta,Nb,Sn++++)2(O,OH)7
Bismutotantalite33.18 %Bi(Ta,Nb)O4
Struverite30.83 %(Ti,Ta,Fe+++)O2
Vigezzite29.17 %(Ca,Ce)(Nb,Ta,Ti)2O6
Manganocolumbite27.50 %(Mn,Fe++)(Nb,Ta)2O6
Ashanite26.56 %(Nb,Ta,U,Fe,Mn)4O8
Scheteligite21.31 %(Ca,Y,Sb,Mn)2(Ti,Ta,Nb,W)2O6(O,OH)
Foordite20.35 %Sn++(Nb,Ta)2O6
Yttropyrochlore-(Y)19.84 %(Y,Na,Ca,U)1-2(Nb,Ta,Ti)2(O,OH)7
Euxenite-(Y)18.45 %(Y,Ca,Ce)(Nb,Ta,Ti)2O6
Bismutocolumbite17.99 %Bi(Nb,Ta)O4
Uranpyrochlore16.72 %(U,Ca,Ce)2(Nb,Ta)2O6(OH,F)
Stibiobetafite16.68 %(Sb+++,Ca)2(Ti,Nb,Ta)2(O,OH)7
Ishikawaite15.36 %(U,Fe,Y,Ca)(Nb,Ta)O4 (?)
Yttrocolumbite-(Y)15.25 %(Y,U,Fe++)(Nb,Ta)O4
Polycrase-(Y)14.56 %(Y,Ca,Ce,U,Th)(Ti,Nb,Ta)2O6
Koragoite14.53 %(Mn++,Fe+++)3(Nb,Ta,Ti)2(Nb,Mn)2(W,Ta)2O20
Samarskite-(Y)12.07 %(Y,Fe+++,U)(Nb,Ta)5O4
Magnocolumbite10.95 %(Mg,Fe++,Mn)(Nb,Ta)2O6
Holtite9.44 %Al6(Al,Ta)(BO3)[(SiO4,SbO4,AsO4)]3(O,OH)3
Liandratite9.39 %U++++++(Nb,Ta)2O8
Olmsteadite8.64 %KFe++2(Nb,Ta)(PO4)2O2·2(H2O)
Fersmite8.51 %(Ca,Ce,Na)(Nb,Ta,Ti)2(O,OH,F)6
Petscheckite8.43 %U++++Fe++(Nb,Ta)2O8
Bismutopyrochlore8.04 %(Bi,U,Ca,Pb)1+x(Nb,Ta)2O6(OH)·n(H2O)
Wolframoixiolite7.45 %(Fe,Mn,Nb)(Nb,W,Ta)O4
Betafite6.09 %(Ca,Na,U)2(Ti,Nb,Ta)2O6(OH)
Uranopolycrase4.35 %(U,Y)(Ti,Nb,Ta)2O6
Johnwalkite3.76 %K(Mn++,Fe+++,Fe++)2(Nb,Ta)(PO4)2O2((H2O),OH)2
Plumbopyrochlore3.74 %(Pb,Y,U,Ca)2-xNb2O6(OH)