27 Tantalum Uses: Facts You Should Know!

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Tantalum, with the chemical symbol Ta and atomic number 73, is a transition element classified as a refractory group metal. Let us explore the uses of tantalum.

Tantalum is soft, malleable, and corrosion resistant, and so it is an ideal metal in different industries like –

  • Electronics industry
  • Aerospace industry
  • Chemical industry
  • Metallurgical industry
  • Nuclear applications

In this article, we will focus on the wide variety of uses of different tantalum compounds like Tantalum powder, Tantalum oxide and Tantalum carbide.

Electronics Industry

  • Tantalum is an exceptional element in building electrical capacitors and resistors, utilized in various industrial and scientific fields, including communication devices, computers, cars, aerospace, defense, and military industries
  • Ta is used to make high-power electron tube parts and electron emission tubes.
  • Tantalum is used in logic chips and DRAMS in the semiconductor industry, as tantalum atoms do not migrate into silicon, making it easier to employ copper as interconnects.
  • High-purity tantalum and tantalum nitrides are synthesized on top of the copper chips to prevent copper atom electromigration, extending the reliability of semiconductor devices.

Aerospace Industry

  • Tantalum alloys such as tantalum tungsten, tantalum hafnium, and tantalum tungsten hafnium alloy are used in the aerospace industry as control parts and regulation equipment as well as heat-resistant, high-strength materials for rockets, and jet engines.
  • Tantalum-containing superalloy with nickel are extensively used in manufacturing components of gas turbines for commercial aircrafts, which function at higher internal combustion temperatures, improving thrust efficiency and reducing fuel consumption.

Chemical Industry

  • Tantalum can be used as a substitute for stainless steel in the machinery used to produce different inorganic acids, except HF, as it exhibits exceptional corrosion resistance.
  • Ta is utilized in all such operations that were previously performed by the pricey precious metal platinum in chemical, electronic, and electrical industries, as Ta significantly lowers the cost.
  • Tantalum is employed in manufacturing chemical processing machinery to fabricate a variety of parts, including heat exchangers, tank liners, valve liners, bayonet heaters, feed lances, and rupture discs.

Metallurgical Industry

Tantalum along with its alloys are used in the production of refractory furnace trays, heat sinks, heat shields, and heaters in high-temperature vacuum furnaces, as it maintains strong dimensional stability.

Nuclear Applications

  • Tantalum diffusion barriers are frequently used in superconducting wires designed for nuclear applications in order to prevent internal diffusion and impart improved mechanical qualities. 
  • Tantalum borides, nitrides, silicides, and related alloys are used in the atomic energy industry as liquid metal sheath materials and heat-release elements.

Tantalum oxide uses

Tantalum oxide (Ta2O5) is a transition metal oxide with excellent structural stability. Let us discuss the uses of tantalum oxide.

Industrial uses of tantalum oxide are discussed in the below points.

  • Semiconductor industry
  • Electronic industry
  • Optical industry
  • Photocatalyst

In the following section we will explore on the various sectors in which tantalum oxide is used.

Semiconductor industry

Tantalum oxide has been utilized as a sputtering target to produce semiconductors in flash memory, high-frequency CMOS integrated circuits, and DRAM, because of its high dielectric constant property.

Electronic industry

  • Ta2O5 is used in cell phones, thin-film components, and automotive electronics.
  • Tantalum oxide is employed in making fuel cells for electrochemical reactions involving ionic conductivity.
  • Tantalum oxide is used in photovoltaics and antireflective layer materials.

Optical industry

  • Ta2O5 is used in optical glasses of photographic lenses and optical fiber due to its high refractive index.
  • Lithium tantalite (LiTaO3) is another oxide of tantalum that is largely used in the optical industry, like in producing optical modulators, piezoelectric sensors and optical waveguides.

Photocatalyst

Tantalum oxide is used as an active water-splitting photocatalyst in solar hydrogen conversion.

Tantalum powder uses

Tantalum powder is a dark-grey powder with specific characteristics like high chemical stability and resistance to liquid metal corrosion. Let us study the uses of tantalum powder.

Tantalum powder has various uses in fields like –

  • Capacitors
  • Chemical applications

In this section, we will further discuss the broad uses of tantalum powder in various fields.

Capacitors

  • Tantalum powder is used to manufacture electrical capacitor cores, high-power resistors and chips.
  • Tantalum powder-grade capacitors are used in cameras, computers and mobiles.

Chemical applications

  • Tantalum powder pressed sheet is utilized to line columns and tanks as well as for vacuum furnace components.
  • Ta powder has a large surface area and so is used in sputtering targets, alloys, and thermal-resistant coatings.

Tantalum carbide uses

Tantalum Carbide (TaC) is a refractory ceramic that is extremely hard, brittle, and electrically conductive. Let us explore the industrial uses of tantalum carbide.

Tantalum carbide finds application in industries like –

  • Ceramic industry
  • Metallurgical industry

In this section, we will elaborate the industrial application of TaC.

Ceramic Industry

Metallurgical industry

  • TaC is used to manufacture cemented carbide employed in making cutting tools and tool bits in milling and drilling machines.
  • TaC is used as an additive to make refractory metal powders.

Conclusion

Tantalum is a rare, dense metal which imparts great strength and ductility when added to a range of alloys. Tantalum is also used in other forms like rods, wires, tubes, strips, and foils.