PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

PHASE — Solid
STD ATOMIC WEIGHT — 180.94788(2) g-mol -1
MELTING TEMPERATURE — 3290K, 3017C, 5463F
BOILING TEMPERATURE — 5731K, 5458C, 9856F
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE — Body Centered Cubic
ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY — (20 °C) 131 nΩ·m
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY — (300 K) 57.5 W·m−1·K−1
THERMAL EXPANSION — (25 °C) 6.3 µm·m−1·K−1

GENERAL PROPERTIES

SYMBOL — Ta
NUMBER — 73
ELEMENT CATEGORY: — Transition Metals

KEY FACTS

  • Discovered in 1802 in Sweden by Anders Ekeberg
  • Closely related to niobium
  • Density and melting points halfway between Mo and W
  • Easily worked at room temperature
  • Excellent corrosion resistance, especially in acids, caustics, and glass

MAJOR APPLICATIONS

  • Capacitors and capacitor wire
  • Barrier layers in semiconductor products
  • Nuclear shielding
  • Heat exchangers and vessels in the chemical processing industry

COMMON ALLOYS

  • Tantalum
  • Tantalum 2.5% Tungsten
  • Tantalum 7.5% Tungsten
  • Tantalum 10% Tungsten
  • Tantalum 40% Niobium