High Demand for Tantalum and Tin

Tantalum (Ta) is a little-known but widely used element in high-end manufactured products. You probably don’t realize it, but tantalum is a key ingredient in many products you use every day, such as mobile phones, DVD players, video cameras, personal computers, video game systems, and televisions.  It is used in the aircraft industry for the production of alloys for jet engine components. It’s also used in making metalworking tools, chemical process equipment, nuclear reactors, and missile parts, camera lenses, surgical instruments, and implants. What makes tantalum such a versatile and popular element? Tantalum is part of the refractory metals group, the basis of compounds that are extremely heat resistant and durable. Tantalum is very hard, extremely corrosion resistant, easily fabricated, and is a good conductor of heat and electricity. Tin (Sn) is another highly corrosion-resistant element and is applied to other metals to prevent corrosion. Tin is used in the electronics industry in solders, and tin-plated metal is used to make cans for food packaging. High demand for the products made from tantalum or tin is driving innovations in the mining industry to find ways to quickly obtain accurate exploration assay data, and to test and identify samples. The ability to obtain instant, nondestructive data on site can significantly help to reduce the cost, time, and labor involved in exploration and surveying activities so that decisions can be made promptly, before geological samples are sent to the laboratory. From exploration to all levels of ore trading, a fast analytical tool, such as a field-portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, can be highly beneficial. Field-portable XRF delivers accurate results in much less time than field testing techniques with little to no sample preparation, which is increasingly important when critical decisions must be made quickly. A recent study evaluated the analytical capabilities of XRF in this mining environment. To see the results, including the correlation curves, repeatability data, methodology, and comments, please read this Tantalum and Tin Ore application note and then read the next article to download an Infographic on Tantalum.