Tantalum has excellent chemical properties and has extremely high corrosion resistance. It does not react with hydrochloric acid, concentrated nitric acid and aqua regia no matter in cold or hot conditions. Tantalum comes in many forms, each suitable for a different industrial application. For example, tantalum in powder form is best used in capacitors, while flake tantalum is often used in columns, containers, and vacuum furnace components. Some of the most common forms of tantalum are listed below. The following are the common fields of tantalum and tantalum alloys:
1. Electronic industry
Tantalum is widely recognized for its exceptional ability to store more charge per gram than other metals of its kind. This makes tantalum an ideal material for the production of capacitors and resistors, while the ability to hold a large amount of charge in a small component allows electronics manufacturers to miniaturize electrical components and devices.
2. Automobile manufacturing
Tantalum is also well suited for automotive electronic systems. Components such as ignition and transmission systems often operate at high temperatures, requiring materials such as tantalum that are highly reliable in these environments. Other automotive tantalum uses include mechanisms such as GPS systems, anti-lock braking systems (ABS) and air bags, which require extremely low failure rates.
3. Medical equipment
Tantalum is also known for its biocompatibility. In other words, when the metal comes into contact with the body or bodily fluids, it does not create toxic products or trigger an adverse immune response. This makes tantalum an ideal material for pairing with living tissue in medical implants and prosthetics.
4. Satellites and space rockets
Capacitors on space satellites are manufactured from tantalum elements because they provide good power storage capacity, require minimal maintenance, and involve relatively low costs. Research has shown that tantalum-based composites have a high potential to reduce the heat flow of spacecraft during planetary re-entry.
5. Oil and gas exploration
During the mining process, machines and tools are often exposed to excessive temperatures and pressures, while also exposing equipment to corrosive acid gases such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Tantalum, on the other hand, has an extremely high melting point and is resistant to most forms of chemical attack and corrosion.
6. Military and aerospace
When combined with specific metals, tantalum produces a class of metals known as superalloys. These alloys are able to withstand extreme temperatures and stresses, such as those found in the turbine engines of commercial and military aircraft. Components and components fabricated from these materials allow for higher internal combustion temperatures and greater thrust efficiency.
7. Other types of tantalum alloy combinations are used in nuclear reactors, missile components, chemical processing equipment, heat exchangers and storage tanks.
