Grade and assay
Concentrates and slags are valued on their Ta₂O₅ content. A representative sample and a reliable assay decide the price.
Metals · Ta · 73
Tantalum
Tantalum keeps chemical plants, jet engines and implants working where other metals fail. We trade it at every stage of the value chain and advise the companies that produce and use it.
73TaTantalum180.95
- Atomic number
- 73
- Melting point
- 3017 °C
- Density
- 16.69 g/cm³
Tantalum is a dense, ductile refractory metal that resists almost every acid. That makes it the material for heat exchangers, linings and vessels in aggressive chemical processes, an alloying element in nickel superalloys for turbine blades, a carbide in cutting tools and a biocompatible metal for implants. Electronics, with capacitors and sputtering targets, are a large market of their own; our focus is on the industrial and high-temperature uses. Tantalum is one of the four conflict minerals (3TG) under EU Regulation 2017/821, so where material comes from matters as much as what it is.
From ore to product
- 01
Digestion
Concentrate or slag is dissolved in hydrofluoric acid.
- 02
Separation
Solvent extraction separates tantalum from niobium and other impurities.
- 03
Precipitation
Tantalum leaves the solution as potassium heptafluorotantalate (K₂TaF₇) or as tantalum oxide (Ta₂O₅).
- 04
Reduction
Sodium reduces K₂TaF₇ to tantalum powder, the starting point for powders, alloys and mill products.
- 05
Melting and forming
Electron-beam melting gives high-purity ingots, which are rolled, drawn or machined into sheet, wire and sputtering targets.
What matters in a deal
Radioactivity
Many tantalum concentrates contain uranium and thorium. Transport and storage follow the rules for naturally occurring radioactive material.
Due diligence
Buyers in the EU need proof of origin along the OECD due diligence guidance. Material without it is hard to place.
Questions
What is tantalum used for?
Besides capacitors and sputtering targets for electronics, tantalum goes into nickel superalloys for turbine blades, corrosion-resistant chemical equipment such as heat exchangers, linings and spinnerets, tantalum carbide in cemented carbides, medical implants, and alloys and powders for high-temperature and additively manufactured parts.
Why does the origin of tantalum matter?
Tantalum is one of the four conflict minerals (3TG) under EU Regulation 2017/821. Companies in the EU have to show where their material comes from, so traceable sources are a requirement, not an extra.
How do I reach Refraxys about material or a project?
Send a short description of your material or your requirement, an analysis if you have one, the quantity and the location to info@refraxys.com, or call us. You speak directly to the person who decides.
Contact
Material to sell, supply to find?
Send us a short description, an analysis if you have one, the quantity and the location. You speak directly to the person who decides.
Dr.-Ing. Ole Brettschneider
Founder & Managing Director