Tantalum Trichloride

See more Tantalum products. Tantalum (atomic symbol: Ta, atomic number: 73) is a Block D, Group 5, Period 6 element with an atomic weight of 180.94788. The number of electrons in each of tantalum's shells is [2, 8, 18, 32, 11, 2] and its electron configuration is [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d³ 6s². The tantalum atom has a radius of 146 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 217 pm. Tantalum was first discovered by Anders G. Ekeberg in 1802 in Uppsala, Sweden however, it was not until 1844 when Heinrich Rose first recognized it as a distinct element. In its elemental form, tantalum has a grayish blue appearance. Tantalum is found in the minerals tantalite, microlite, wodginite, euxenite, and polycrase. 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.

Chlorine is a Block P, Group 17, Period 3 element. Its electron configuration is [Ne]3s²3p⁵. The chlorine atom has a covalent radius of 102±4 pm and its Van der Waals radius is 175 pm. In its elemental form, chlorine is a yellow-green gas. Chlorine is the second lightest halogen after fluorine. It has the third highest electronegativity and the highest electron affinity of all elements, making it a strong oxidizing agent. It is rarely found by itself in nature. Chlorine was discovered and first isolated by Carl Wilhelm Scheele in 1774. It was first recognized as an element by Humphry Davy in 1808.