Right now, inside your smartphone, dozens of tiny tantalum capacitors are keeping everything running. Without them, the processor would glitch on its very first operation and the battery couldn't hold a stable charge. Tantalum is the invisible metal that makes modern electronics possible.
This blue-gray metal melts only at 3,017 °C — twice as hot as volcanic lava. It resists almost every acid known to chemistry, and the human body accepts it as its own. That's why surgeons use tantalum to replace shattered bones and joints. Element 73 quietly works both in your pocket and inside the human body.
Tantalum got its name from Tantalus, a figure in Greek mythology condemned to eternal torment. Swedish chemist Anders Ekeberg chose this name in 1802 because the metal was 'tormented' by acids yet yielded to none of them. For nearly 50 years, scientists confused tantalum with niobium — they are that similar.
Today, 60% of mined tantalum goes into capacitors. Major deposits are found in the Congo, Rwanda, Brazil, and Australia. Mining in Central Africa has sparked international debate due to its links to armed conflicts.
Bulk tantalum is non-toxic and safe to touch. The body treats it as inert — that's exactly why it's used for medical implants. But fine tantalum powder is flammable: it can ignite in air and even explode as a dust cloud. Some tantalum compounds irritate the respiratory tract. Proper ventilation and a protective mask are mandatory when handling tantalum powder.
Every smartphone contains 30–40 tantalum capacitors. Each one is smaller than a grain of rice, yet holds charge more reliably than any alternative.
The human body doesn't reject tantalum. Bones grow directly through tantalum mesh — that's why it's used for skull, joint, and spinal implants.
Tantalum withstands attack from nearly every acid. Even aqua regia (the mix that dissolves gold) can't touch it. Only a cocktail of hydrofluoric and nitric acid works.
The element is named after Tantalus from Greek myth — the king who stood neck-deep in water but couldn't drink. The metal is similarly 'unreachable' for acids.
Tantalum melts at 3,017 °C — twice as hot as lava and just slightly below tungsten, the record-holder among metals.
Over half the world's tantalum is mined in Central Africa. The ore coltan is often extracted by hand — making it one of the most ethically controversial raw materials on Earth.
| Isotope | Mass (u) | Abundance | Half-life | Decay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
180Ta | 179.947465 | 0.01% | stable | — |
181Ta | 180.947996 | 99.99% | stable | — |
Analysis of tantalite