Tantalum

Noted for its high melting point, tantalum is widely used as a capacitator in electronic devices such as smartphones.

Tantalum (Ta)

Tantalum is a relatively rare metal that typically occurs together with niobium in its ores, most commonly in the form of coltan, which is predominantly sourced from DR Congo and neighbouring countries. Tantalum is one of the four 3TG ‘conflict minerals’, as defined by Section 1502 of the US Dodd Frank Act (2010) and by the European Union’s Conflict Mineral Regulation (2017). It is also designated as a critical raw material by both the European Union and United States.

Tantalum is used to produce capacitors for a wide range of electronic devices, most prominently in smartphones. It has many other applications, including in high temperature alloys and in chemical processing equipment, and as such demand is expected to continue to grow.

Tantalum extraction – particularly in the Great Lakes Region of Africa – has long been associated with significant ESG risks, where its determination as a ‘conflict mineral’ originates. The relative prominence of artisanal- and small-scale mining (ASM) in a complex upstream supply chain can make it complicated for downstream users to determine the origin of tantalum to comply with conflict minerals legislation.

Main uses and applications

Tantalum is characterised by its high density, extremely high melting point, and excellent resistance to almost all acids. Tantalum carbides have applications in ultra-high temperature ceramics, with melting points in the range 2,000-4,000°C, and tantalum fabricated sheets and plates having a very high corrosion resistance.i

The advent of consumer electronics means that tantalum consumption is increasingly dominated by capacitors for electronic equipment. These are an essential part of almost all electronic products, ranging from smartphones to medical electronics, electronic systems in cars to wind turbines producing electricity. Tantalum content allows capacitors and semiconductors to be small and dense, which has great utility in size-constrained electronic devices. Tantalum metal is also used for sintering tray assemblies and shielding components for anode sintering furnaces.ii,iii Additionally, it is used to produce high temperature alloys.