Mineral Resources Potential - Geothermal Resources

Meidlic Minerals 79
potassium fluorotantalate, reduction of potassium fluorotantalate
with sodium, or by reacting tanhum carbide with tantaIum oxide.
Tantalum is also a byproduct from tin smelting (Cemy, 1990).
Applications
The major use for tantalum, as tantalum metal powder, is in the
production of electronic components, mainly tantdum capacitors.
Tantalum electrolytic apitors exploit the natural tendency of
tantalum to form .a protective oxide surface layer, using tantalum
foil as one plate of the capacitor, the oxide as the dielectric, and an
qledmlytic solution as the other plate. Because the dielectric layer
can be very thin (thinner than the similar layer in, for instance, an
alm~um. electrolytic capacitor), high capacitance can be
=hiex& in a. small space. This size In d weight advantage makes
tantalum capacitors attractive for portable telephones, pagers,
personal computers, and automotive electronics.
Tdum is also used to produce a variety of alloys that
have high melting points, are strong and have good ductility.
Alloyed with other metals, it is also used in making carbide tools
fbr ^metal-working equipment and in the production of superalloys
for jet engine components,' chkical process equipment, nlacleax
reactbrs, and missile parts (Cemy, 1990), It is ductile and cm be
drawn into fine wire, which is used as a filament for evqomting
metals such as aluminium. Because it is totally immune to the
action of body liquids and is none-irritating, it is widely used in
making surgical appliances. Tantalum oxide is used to make
special high refractive index glass for camera lenses. The metal is
also used to make vacuum furnace parts.