Tantalum (tǎn).
Tantalum is a rare metal with the chemical symbol Ta and an atomic number of 73. It is a hard, corrosion-resistant, ductile metal that is commonly used in the manufacture of high-temperature equipment, medical devices, and electronic equipment. The price of tantalum is relatively high in the metal market, mainly due to its rarity and wide application prospects.
Tantalum is very rare in nature and is mainly found in minerals in the earth's crust, rarely in a separate form. The main deposits are located in South Africa, the Soviet Union, Canada, the United States and Brazil, etc. China's tantalum resources are mainly distributed in Jiangxi, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan and other provinces.
Tantalum mining and smelting process is relatively complex, so it needs to go through a number of procedures in order to get a higher purity of tantalum metal. Tantalum has a wide range of industrial applications, including high-temperature equipment, medical equipment, electronic equipment, aerospace equipment and other fields. In the manufacture of high temperature equipment, tantalum can be used to manufacture high temperature furnaces, crucibles and other high temperature resistant equipment, due to its corrosion resistance.
It can be used at high temperatures for a long time. In the medical field, tantalum is used in the manufacture of medical devices, such as surgical instruments, implants and so on. In electronic equipment, tantalum is used to manufacture circuit boards, electronic tubes and so on. In addition, tantalum is used in the manufacture of aerospace equipment, such as parts for airplanes and rockets.
Tantalum's physical and chemical properties are very stable, its melting point is as high as 3017 ° C, the boiling point reaches 5400 ° C. It has very good corrosion resistance, and can resist the erosion of most chemical reagents. In addition, tantalum has very good electrical and thermal conductivity and ductility, so it has a wide range of applications in many fields.
Despite the relatively high price of tantalum, the market demand is still high due to its excellent performance and wide range of applications. With the continuous development of science and technology, the application fields of tantalum are also expanding. For example, tantalum is increasingly used in the electronics industry, especially in the field of high-capacity lithium batteries and electronic circuits, tantalum has a very broad application prospect.
In addition to industrial applications, tantalum is also used in jewelry and art. Because of its gloss and hardness are very suitable for the production of jewelry and high-grade art, so tantalum in these areas also have a certain market demand.
Overall, as a rare metal, tantalum has a wide range of application prospects and important market value. With the continuous progress of science and technology and the increasing market demand, tantalum applications will continue to expand, and make greater contributions to the development and progress of mankind.