Tantalum information, including Technical Data, Safety Data and its high purity properties, research, applications and other useful facts are discussed below. Scientific facts such as the atomic structure, ionization energy, abundance on Earth, conductivity and thermal properties are included.
Tantalum has a number of interesting properties that make it particularly useful in electronic applications. Tantalum is available as metal and compounds with purities from 99% to 99.999% (ACS grade to ultra-high purity); metals in the form of foil, sputtering target, and rod, and compounds as submicron and nanopowder. It has the third highest melting point, surpassed only by rhenium and tungsten, yet it is highly conductive to heat and electricity. This has made it the material of choice for electronic capacitors for most telecommunications and hand held electronics equipment, such as cell phones, laptop computers and pagers. Tantalum compounds, such as the oxide and chloride, are the basis for di-electric coatings. Tantalum is added to glass for its high refractive index. It has various applications in nuclear energy.
Tantalum facts, including appearance, CAS #, and molecular formula and safety data, research and properties are
available for many specific states, forms and shapes on the product pages listed to the left. Elemental or metallic forms include pellets, rod, wire and granules for evaporation source material purposes. Nanoparticles and nanopowders provide ultra high surface area which nanotechnology research and recent experiments demonstrate function to create new and unique properties and benefits.
Oxides are available in forms including powders and dense pellets for such uses as optical coating and thin film applications. Oxides tend to be insoluble. Fluorides are another insoluble form for uses in which oxygen is undesirable such as metallurgy, chemical and physical vapor deposition and in some optical coatings. Tantalum is available in soluble forms including chlorides, nitrates and acetates. These compounds are also manufactured as solutions at specified stoichiometries.
Tantalum is a Block D, Group 5, Period 6 element. The number of electrons in each of Tantalum's shells is 2, 8, 18, 32, 11, 2 and its electronic configuration is [Xe] 4f14 5d3 6s2. In its elemental form tantalum's CAS number is 7440-25-7. The tantalum atom has a radius of 143.pm and it's Van der Waals radius is 200.pm.
Tantalum is not toxic.
All elemental metals, compounds and solutions may be synthesized in ultra high purity (e.g. 99.999%) for laboratory standards, advanced electronic, thin fillm deposition using sputtering targets and evaporation materials, metallurgy and optical materials and other high technology applications. Information is provided for stable (non-radioactive) isotopes. Organo-Metallic Tantalum compounds are soluble in organic or non-aqueous solvents. See Analytical Services for information on available certified chemical and physical analysis techniques including MS-ICP, X-Ray Diffraction, PSD and Surface Area (BET) analysis.
Tantalum was first discovered by Anders Ekeberg in 1802. Due to the close relation of tantalum to niobium in the periodic table, Tantalum's name originates from the Greek word Tantalos meaning Father of Niobe in Greek mythology.
tantale |
Tantal |
tantalio |
Tântalo |
tántalo |
Tantal
|
Abundance. The following table shows the abundance of tantalum and each of its naturally occurring isotopes on Earth along with the atomic mass for each isotope.
| Isotope |
Atomic Mass |
% Abundance on Earth |
| Ta-180 |
179.947466 |
0.01 |
| Ta-181 |
180.947996 |
99.99 |
The following table shows the abundance of Tantalum present in the human body and in the universe scaled to parts per billion (ppb) by weight and by atom:
| |
Typical Human Body |
Universe |
| by Weight |
no data |
0.08 ppb |
| by Atom |
no data |
0.0006 ppb |
Safety Data and Biological Role. The safety data for tantalum metal, nanoparticles and its compounds can vary widely depending on the form. For potential hazard information, toxicity, and road, sea and air transportation limitations, such as DOT Hazard Class, DOT Number, EU Number, NFPA Health rating and RTECS Class, please see the specific material or compound referenced in the left margin. Tantalum compounds have no biological role.
Ionization Energy. The ionization energy for tantalum (the least required energy to release a single electron from the atom in it's ground state in the gas phase) is stated in the following table:
| 1st Ionization Energy |
728.43 kJ mol-1 |
| 2nd Ionization Energy |
- kJ mol-1 |
| 3rd Ionization Energy |
- kJ mol-1 |
Conductivity. As to tantalum's electrical and thermal conductivity, the electrical conductivity measured as to electrical resistivity @ 20 ºC is 13.15 μΩcm and its electronegativities (or its ability to draw electrons relative to other elements) is 1.5. The thermal conductivity of tantalum is 57.5 W m-1 K-1.
Thermal Properties. The melting point and boiling point for tantalum are stated below. The following chart sets forth the heat of fusion, heat of vaporization and heat of atomization.
| Heat of Fusion |
31.4 kJ mol-1 |
| Heat of Vaporization |
758.22 kJ mol-1 |
| Heat of Atomization |
781.425 kJ mol-1 |
Recent Research & Development for Tantalum
Mitral Valve Annuloplasty : A Quantitative Clinical and Mechanical Comparison of Different Annuloplasty Devices.
Rausch MK, Bothe W, Kvitting JP, Swanson JC, Miller DC, Kuhl E.
Ann Biomed Eng. 2011 Oct 25. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22037916
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
The Tetrahydrometalate Species VH2(H2), NbH4, and TaH4: Matrix Infrared Spectra and Quantum Chemical Calculations.
Wang X, Andrews L.
J Phys Chem A. 2011 Oct 24. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22017260
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Controlled Synthesis of Tantalum Oxynitride and Nitride Nanoparticles.
Gao Q, Giordano C, Antonietti M.
Small. 2011 Oct 19. doi: 10.1002/smll.201101207. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22009942
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Surgical Technique: Porous Tantalum Reconstruction for Destructive Nonprimary Periacetabular Tumors.
Khan FA, Rose PS, Yanagisawa M, Lewallen DG, Sim FH.
Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2011 Oct 12. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
21989784
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Carbon Radical Generation by d(0) Tantalum Complexes with a-Diimine Ligands through Ligand-Centered Redox Processes.
Tsurugi H, Saito T, Tanahashi H, Arnold J, Mashima K.
J Am Chem Soc. 2011 Oct 26. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
21981364
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Trabecular metal cup without augments for acetabular revision in case of extensive bone loss and low bone-prosthesis contact.
Pierannunzii L, Mambretti A, D'Imporzano M.
Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2011 Jan-Mar;24(1 Suppl 2):133-7.
PMID:
21669152
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Effects of the [OC6F5] moiety upon structural geometry: crystal structures of half-sandwich tantalum(V) aryloxide complexes from reaction of Cp*Ta(N(t)Bu)(CH2R)2 with pentafluorophenol.
Cole JM, Chan MC, Gibson VC, Howard JA.
Acta Crystallogr B. 2011 Oct;67(Pt 5):416-24. Epub 2011 Aug 31.
PMID:
21931211
[PubMed]
Surgical Technique: A Cup-in-Cup Technique to Restore Offset in Severe Protrusio Acetabular Defects.
Blumenfeld TJ, Bargar WL.
Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2011 Sep 14. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
21915769
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Tantalum (oxy)nitrides: Preparation, characterisation and enhancement of photo-Fenton-like degradation of atrazine under visible light.
Du Y, Zhao L, Su Y.
J Hazard Mater. 2011 Nov 15;195:291-7. Epub 2011 Aug 22.
PMID:
21885191
[PubMed - in process]
Prospective Results of Uncemented Tantalum Monoblock Tibia in Total Knee Arthroplasty Minimum 5-Year Follow-up in Patients Younger Than 55 Years.
Kamath AF, Lee GC, Sheth NP, Nelson CL, Garino JP, Israelite CL.
J Arthroplasty. 2011 Aug 25. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
21872424
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
X-ray absorption, photoemission spectroscopy, and Raman scattering analysis of amorphous tantalum oxide with a large extent of oxygen nonstoichiometry.
Tsuchiya T, Imai H, Miyoshi S, Glans PA, Guo J, Yamaguchi S.
Phys Chem Chem Phys. 2011 Oct 14;13(38):17013-8. Epub 2011 Aug 24.
PMID:
21863188
[PubMed - in process]
Evaluation of gene expression in MG63 human osteoblastlike cells exposed to tantalum powder by microarray technology.
Sollazzo V, Pezzetti F, Massari L, Palmieri A, Brunelli G, Zollino I, Lucchese A, Caruso G, Carinci F.
Int J Periodontics Restorative Dent. 2011 Jul-Aug;31(4):e17-28.
PMID:
21837296
[PubMed - in process]
Hemocompatibility investigation of the NiTi alloy implanted with tantalum.
Zhao T, Li Y, Gao Y, Xiang Y, Chen H, Zhang T.
J Mater Sci Mater Med. 2011 Oct;22(10):2311-8. Epub 2011 Aug 11.
PMID:
21833606
[PubMed - in process]
[Treatment of adult early femur head necrosis with the tantalum screw].
Luo HY, Chen CW.
Zhongguo Gu Shang. 2011 Jun;24(6):482-5. Chinese.
PMID:
21786551
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
A comparison of calibration methods for stereo fluoroscopic imaging systems.
Kaptein BL, Shelburne KB, Torry MR, Giphart JE.
J Biomech. 2011 Sep 2;44(13):2511-5. Epub 2011 Jul 23.
PMID:
21783196
[PubMed - in process]
Titanium and tantalum as mesenchymal stem cell scaffolds for spinal fusion: an in vitro comparative study.
Blanco JF, Sánchez-Guijo FM, Carrancio S, Muntion S, García-Briñon J, del Cañizo MC.
Eur Spine J. 2011 Aug;20 Suppl 3:353-60. Epub 2011 Jul 16.
PMID:
21779858
[PubMed - in process]
Synthetic and structural studies of monocyclopentadienyl cyclometalated aryl tantalum(V) compounds.
Galajov M, Galindo A, García C, Gómez M, Gómez-Sal P, Parra A.
Dalton Trans. 2011 Sep 7;40(33):8399-406. Epub 2011 Jul 22.
PMID:
21779602
[PubMed - in process]
Designing catalysts for nitrene transfer using early transition metals and redox-active ligands.
Heyduk AF, Zarkesh RA, Nguyen AI.
Inorg Chem. 2011 Oct 17;50(20):9849-63. Epub 2011 Jul 20.
PMID:
21774482
[PubMed - in process]
A randomised study of peri-prosthetic bone density after cemented versus trabecular fixation of a polyethylene acetabular component.
Periasamy K, Watson WS, Mohammed A, Murray H, Walker B, Patil S, Meek RM.
J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2011 Aug;93(8):1033-44.
PMID:
21768625
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Bis(µ-2-tert-butyl-phenyl-imido-1:2?N:N)chlorido-2?Cl-(diethyl ether-1?O)(2?-penta-methyl-cyclo-penta-dien-yl)lithiumtantalum(V).
Cole JM, Chan MC, Gibson VC, Howard JA.
Acta Crystallogr Sect E Struct Rep Online. 2011 Jun 1;67(Pt 6):m688-9. Epub 2011 May 7.
PMID:
21754594
[PubMed] |
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