Tantalum (Ta)

Tantalum is the 73rd element in the periodic table and has a symbol of Ta and atomic number of 73. It has an atomic weight of 180.94788 and a mass number of 181. Tantalum has seventy-three protons and one hundred eight neutrons in its nucleus, and seventy-three electrons in six shells. It is located in group five, period six and block d of the periodic table. Heavy blue-grey metallic transition element. Ta-181 is a stable isotope, and Ta-180 is a radioactive isotope, with a half-life in excess of 10^7 years. Used in surgery as it is unreactive. Forms a passive oxide layer in air. Identified in 1802 by Ekeberg and isolated in 1820 by Jons J. Berzelius.

Atomic Number	73
Atomic Weight	180.94788
Mass Number	181

Group	5
Period	6
Block	d

Protons	73 p⁺
Neutrons	108 n⁰
Electrons	73 e^-

Properties

Physical Properties
Atomic Radius	145 pm 258 pm
Molar Volume	10.9 cm³/mol
Covalent Radius	146 pm 126 pm 119 pm 170 pm
Metallic Radius	134 pm 146 pm
Ionic Radius	72 pm 68 pm 64 pm 69 pm 74 pm
Crystal Radius	86 pm 82 pm 78 pm 83 pm 88 pm
Van der Waals Radius	220 pm 222 pm 243 pm 317 pm
Density	16.4 g/cm³ 15,000 kg/m³
Energy
Proton Affinity
Electron Affinity	0.322 eV/particle
Ionization Energy	7.54957 eV/particle 16.2 eV/particle 23.1 eV/particle 35 eV/particle 48.272 eV/particle 94.011 eV/particle 119 eV/particle 139 eV/particle 159 eV/particle 180 eV/particle 213 eV/particle 235 eV/particle 262 eV/particle 304 eV/particle 338 eV/particle 363 eV/particle 396 eV/particle 439 eV/particle 482 eV/particle 530 eV/particle 570 eV/particle 620 eV/particle 660 eV/particle 700 eV/particle 740 eV/particle 790 eV/particle 832 eV/particle 1,064 eV/particle 1,110 eV/particle 1,160 eV/particle 1,211 eV/particle 1,262 eV/particle 1,313 eV/particle 1,382 eV/particle 1,434 eV/particle 1,490 eV/particle 1,542 eV/particle 1,748 eV/particle 1,799 eV/particle 1,857 eV/particle 1,910 eV/particle 2,053 eV/particle 2,113 eV/particle 2,254 eV/particle 2,314.7 eV/particle 3,898.7 eV/particle 4,014 eV/particle 4,143 eV/particle 4,278 eV/particle 4,410 eV/particle 4,537 eV/particle 4,745 eV/particle 4,877 eV/particle 5,024 eV/particle 5,159 eV/particle 5,537 eV/particle 5,655 eV/particle 5,785 eV/particle 5,907 eV/particle 6,364 eV/particle 6,502 eV/particle 6,769 eV/particle 6,900 eV/particle 15,137 eV/particle 15,461 eV/particle 15,820 eV/particle 16,150 eV/particle 17,840 eV/particle 18,250 eV/particle 18,760 eV/particle 19,088.51 eV/particle 76,852.02 eV/particle 78,394.7 eV/particle

Heat of Vaporization	758 kJ/mol
Heat of Fusion	24.7 kJ/mol
Heat of Formation	782 kJ/mol
Electrons
Electron Shells	2, 8, 18, 32, 11, 2

Valence Electrons	2
Electron Configuration	[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d³ 6s²

Oxidation States	-3, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Electronegativity	7.93 eV/particle 0.234581 1.5
Electrophilicity	1.0716190618855992 eV/particle
Phases
Phase	Solid
Gas Phase
Boiling Point	5,728.15 K
Melting Point	3,290.15 K
Critical Pressure
Critical Temperature
Triple Point
Visual
Tantalum is a Gray. Ta has a CPK of #ff1493, Jmol of #4da6ff, and MOLCAS GV of #4da6ff. The Appearance of Element 73 is gray blue.
Color	Gray #ff1493 #4da6ff #4da6ff
Appearance	gray blue
Refractive Index
Thermodynamic Properties
Thermal Conductivity	57.5 W/(m K)
Thermal Expansion	0.0000063 1/K
Molar Heat Capacity	25.36 J/(mol K)
Specific Heat Capacity	0.14 J/(g⋅K)
Heat Capacity Ratio (Adiabatic Index)
Electrical Properties
Type	Conductor
Electrical Conductivity	7.7 MS/m
Electrical Resistivity	0.00000013 m Ω
Superconducting Point	4.47 K
Magnetism
Type	paramagnetic
Magnetic Susceptibility (Mass)	0.0000000107 m³/Kg
Magnetic Susceptibility (Molar)	0.000000001936 m³/mol
Magnetic Susceptibility (Volume)	0.0001782
Magnetic Ordering
Curie Point
Neel Point
Structure
The Crystal Structure of Tantalum is BCC. The lattice constant of Ta is 3.31 Å. The lattice angles of Element 73 are π/2, π/2, π/2.
Crystal Structure	Body Centered Cubic (BCC)
Lattice Constant	3.31 Å
Lattice Angles	π/2, π/2, π/2
Mechanical Properties
Tantalum has a Brinell of 800 MPa, Mohs hardness of 6.5 MPa, and Vickers of 873 MPa. The Bulk Modulus of Ta is 200 GPa. The Shear Modulus of Element 73 is 69 GPa. The Young Modulus of Tantalum (Ta) is 186 GPa. The Poisson Ratio of Tantalum is 0.34. The Speed of Sound of Ta is 3400 m/s.
Hardness	800 MPa 6.5 MPa 873 MPa
Bulk Modulus	200 GPa
Shear Modulus	69 GPa
Young Modulus	186 GPa
Poisson Ratio	0.34
Speed of Sound	3,400 m/s
Classification
The CAS Group of Tantalum is VA. The IUPAC Group of Ta is VB. The Glawe Number of Element 73 is 52. The Mendeleev Number of Tantalum (Ta) is 49. The Pettifor Number of Tantalum is 53. The Geochemical Class of Ta is high field strength. The Goldschmidt Class of Element 73 is litophile.
Category	Transition metals, Transition metals
CAS Group	VA
IUPAC Group	VB
Glawe Number	52
Mendeleev Number	49
Pettifor Number	53
Geochemical Class	high field strength
Goldschmidt Class	litophile
Other
The Dipole Polarizability of Tantalum is 74 plus or minus 20 a₀. Ta has a C6 Dispersion Coefficient (GB) of 887 a₀. The Allotropes of Element 73 is . The Neutron Cross Section of Tantalum (Ta) is 20.5. The Neutron Mass Absorption of Tantalum is 0.0041. The Quantum Numbers of Ta is 4F3/2. The Space Group of Element 73 is 229 (Im_3m).
Gas Basicity
Dipole Polarizability	74 ± 20 a₀
C6 Dispersion Coefficient	887 a₀
Allotropes
Neutron Cross Section	20.5
Neutron Mass Absorption	0.0041
Quantum Numbers	4F3/2
Space Group	229 (Im_3m)

Isotopes of Tantalum

Stable Isotopes	1
Unstable Isotopes	39
Radioactive Isotopes	39

¹⁵⁵Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	154.974248 ± 0.000322 Da
Mass Number	155
G-Factor
Half Life	3.2 ± 1.3 ms
Spin	11/2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	2007
Parity	-

¹⁵⁵Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
p (proton emission)	100%

¹⁵⁶Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	155.972087 ± 0.000322 Da
Mass Number	156
G-Factor
Half Life	106 ± 4 ms
Spin	2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	1992
Parity	-

¹⁵⁶Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
p (proton emission)	71%
β⁺ (β⁺ decay; β⁺ = ϵ + e⁺)	29%

¹⁵⁷Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	156.968227445 ± 0.000161087 Da
Mass Number	157
G-Factor
Half Life	10.1 ± 0.4 ms
Spin	1/2
Quadrupole Moment	0
Discovery Year	1979
Parity	+

¹⁵⁷Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
α (α emission)	96.6%
p (proton emission)	3.4%
β⁺ (β⁺ decay; β⁺ = ϵ + e⁺)	%

¹⁵⁸Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	157.966593 ± 0.000215 Da
Mass Number	158
G-Factor
Half Life	49 ± 4 ms
Spin	2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	1979
Parity

¹⁵⁸Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
α (α emission)	100%
β⁺ (β⁺ decay; β⁺ = ϵ + e⁺)	%

¹⁵⁹Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	158.963028046 ± 0.000021137 Da
Mass Number	159
G-Factor
Half Life	1.04 ± 0.09 s
Spin	1/2
Quadrupole Moment	0
Discovery Year	1979
Parity	+

¹⁵⁹Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁺ (β⁺ decay; β⁺ = ϵ + e⁺)	66%
α (α emission)	34%

¹⁶⁰Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	159.961541678 ± 0.00005831 Da
Mass Number	160
G-Factor
Half Life	1.7 ± 0.2 s
Spin	2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	1979
Parity

¹⁶⁰Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁺ (β⁺ decay; β⁺ = ϵ + e⁺)	%
α (α emission)	%

¹⁶¹Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	160.958369489 ± 0.000026174 Da
Mass Number	161
G-Factor
Half Life
Spin	1/2
Quadrupole Moment	0
Discovery Year	1979
Parity	+

¹⁶¹Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁺ (β⁺ decay; β⁺ = ϵ + e⁺)	%
α (α emission)	%

¹⁶²Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	161.957292907 ± 0.000067979 Da
Mass Number	162
G-Factor
Half Life	3.57 ± 0.12 s
Spin	3
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	1985
Parity	-

¹⁶²Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁺ (β⁺ decay; β⁺ = ϵ + e⁺)	99.926%
α (α emission)	0.074%

¹⁶³Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	162.954337194 ± 0.00004086 Da
Mass Number	163
G-Factor
Half Life	10.6 ± 1.8 s
Spin	1/2
Quadrupole Moment	0
Discovery Year	1985
Parity	+

¹⁶³Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁺ (β⁺ decay; β⁺ = ϵ + e⁺)	100%
α (α emission)	%

¹⁶⁴Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	163.953534 ± 0.00003 Da
Mass Number	164
G-Factor
Half Life	14.2 ± 0.3 s
Spin	3
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	1982
Parity	+

¹⁶⁴Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁺ (β⁺ decay; β⁺ = ϵ + e⁺)	100%

¹⁶⁵Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	164.950780287 ± 0.000014571 Da
Mass Number	165
G-Factor
Half Life	31 ± 1.5 s
Spin	1/2
Quadrupole Moment	0
Discovery Year	1982
Parity	+

¹⁶⁵Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁺ (β⁺ decay; β⁺ = ϵ + e⁺)	100%

¹⁶⁶Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	165.950512 ± 0.00003 Da
Mass Number	166
G-Factor
Half Life	34.4 ± 0.5 s
Spin	2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	1977
Parity

¹⁶⁶Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁺ (β⁺ decay; β⁺ = ϵ + e⁺)	100%

¹⁶⁷Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	166.948093 ± 0.00003 Da
Mass Number	167
G-Factor
Half Life	1.33 ± 0.07 m
Spin	3/2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	1982
Parity	+

¹⁶⁷Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁺ (β⁺ decay; β⁺ = ϵ + e⁺)	100%

¹⁶⁸Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	167.948047 ± 0.00003 Da
Mass Number	168
G-Factor
Half Life	2 ± 0.1 m
Spin	3
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	1969
Parity	+

¹⁶⁸Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁺ (β⁺ decay; β⁺ = ϵ + e⁺)	100%

¹⁶⁹Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	168.946011 ± 0.00003 Da
Mass Number	169
G-Factor
Half Life	4.9 ± 0.4 m
Spin	5/2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	1969
Parity	+

¹⁶⁹Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁺ (β⁺ decay; β⁺ = ϵ + e⁺)	100%

¹⁷⁰Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	169.946175 ± 0.00003 Da
Mass Number	170
G-Factor
Half Life	6.76 ± 0.06 m
Spin	3
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	1969
Parity	+

¹⁷⁰Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁺ (β⁺ decay; β⁺ = ϵ + e⁺)	100%

¹⁷¹Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	170.944476 ± 0.00003 Da
Mass Number	171
G-Factor
Half Life	23.3 ± 0.3 m
Spin	5/2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	1969
Parity	+

¹⁷¹Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁺ (β⁺ decay; β⁺ = ϵ + e⁺)	100%

¹⁷²Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	171.944895 ± 0.00003 Da
Mass Number	172
G-Factor
Half Life	36.8 ± 0.3 m
Spin	3
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	1964
Parity	+

¹⁷²Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁺ (β⁺ decay; β⁺ = ϵ + e⁺)	100%

¹⁷³Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	172.94375 ± 0.00003 Da
Mass Number	173
G-Factor	0.68 ± 0.012
Half Life	3.14 ± 0.13 h
Spin	5/2
Quadrupole Moment	-1.8 ± 0.2
Discovery Year	1960
Parity	-

¹⁷³Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁺ (β⁺ decay; β⁺ = ϵ + e⁺)	100%

¹⁷⁴Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	173.944454 ± 0.00003 Da
Mass Number	174
G-Factor
Half Life	1.14 ± 0.08 h
Spin	3
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	1960
Parity	+

¹⁷⁴Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁺ (β⁺ decay; β⁺ = ϵ + e⁺)	100%

¹⁷⁵Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	174.943737 ± 0.00003 Da
Mass Number	175
G-Factor	0.64857142857143 ± 0.014285714285714
Half Life	10.5 ± 0.2 h
Spin	7/2
Quadrupole Moment	3.5 ± 0.3
Discovery Year	1960
Parity	+

¹⁷⁵Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁺ (β⁺ decay; β⁺ = ϵ + e⁺)	100%

¹⁷⁶Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	175.944857 ± 0.000033 Da
Mass Number	176
G-Factor
Half Life	8.09 ± 0.05 h
Spin	1
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	1948
Parity

¹⁷⁶Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁺ (β⁺ decay; β⁺ = ϵ + e⁺)	100%

¹⁷⁷Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	176.94448194 ± 0.000003558 Da
Mass Number	177
G-Factor	0.64285714285714 ± 0.014285714285714
Half Life	56.36 ± 0.13 h
Spin	7/2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	1948
Parity	+

¹⁷⁷Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁺ (β⁺ decay; β⁺ = ϵ + e⁺)	100%

¹⁷⁸Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	177.94568 ± 0.000056 Da
Mass Number	178
G-Factor
Half Life	2.36 ± 0.08 h
Spin	7
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	1950
Parity	-

¹⁷⁸Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁺ (β⁺ decay; β⁺ = ϵ + e⁺)	100%

¹⁷⁹Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	178.94593905 ± 0.000001574 Da
Mass Number	179
G-Factor	0.65314285714286 ± 0.0017142857142857
Half Life	1.82 ± 0.03 y
Spin	7/2
Quadrupole Moment	3.27 ± 0.04
Discovery Year	1950
Parity	+

¹⁷⁹Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
ϵ (electron capture)	100%

¹⁸⁰Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	179.947467589 ± 0.000002219 Da
Mass Number	180
G-Factor
Half Life	8.154 ± 0.006 h
Spin	1
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	1938
Parity	+

¹⁸⁰Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
ϵ (electron capture)	85%
β⁻ (β⁻ decay)	15%

¹⁸¹Ta

Abundance	99.98799 ± 0.00032
Relative Atomic Mass	180.947998528 ± 0.000001692 Da
Mass Number	181
G-Factor
Half Life
Spin	7/2
Quadrupole Moment	3.17 ± 0.02
Discovery Year	1932
Parity	+

¹⁸²Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	181.950154612 ± 0.000001693 Da
Mass Number	182
G-Factor	1.0066666666667 ± 0.01
Half Life	114.74 ± 0.12 d
Spin	3
Quadrupole Moment	2.6 ± 0.3
Discovery Year	1938
Parity	-

¹⁸²Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁻ (β⁻ decay)	100%

¹⁸³Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	182.95137538 ± 0.000001707 Da
Mass Number	183
G-Factor	0.67428571428571 ± 0.0085714285714286
Half Life	5.1 ± 0.1 d
Spin	7/2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	1950
Parity	+

¹⁸³Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁻ (β⁻ decay)	100%

¹⁸⁴Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	183.954009958 ± 0.000027923 Da
Mass Number	184
G-Factor
Half Life	8.7 ± 0.1 h
Spin	5
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	1955
Parity	-

¹⁸⁴Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁻ (β⁻ decay)	100%

¹⁸⁵Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	184.955561317 ± 0.000015202 Da
Mass Number	185
G-Factor
Half Life	49.4 ± 1.5 m
Spin	7/2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	1950
Parity	+

¹⁸⁵Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁻ (β⁻ decay)	100%

¹⁸⁶Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	185.958553036 ± 0.000064425 Da
Mass Number	186
G-Factor
Half Life	10.5 ± 0.3 m
Spin	3
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	1955
Parity

¹⁸⁶Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁻ (β⁻ decay)	100%

¹⁸⁷Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	186.960391 ± 0.00006 Da
Mass Number	187
G-Factor
Half Life	2.3 ± 6 m
Spin	7/2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	1999
Parity	+

¹⁸⁷Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁻ (β⁻ decay)	100%

¹⁸⁸Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	187.963596 ± 0.000215 Da
Mass Number	188
G-Factor
Half Life	19.6 ± 2 s
Spin	1
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	1999
Parity	-

¹⁸⁸Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁻ (β⁻ decay)	100%

¹⁸⁹Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	188.96569 ± 0.000215 Da
Mass Number	189
G-Factor
Half Life
Spin	7/2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	1999
Parity	+

¹⁸⁹Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁻ (β⁻ decay)	100%

¹⁹⁰Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	189.969168 ± 0.000215 Da
Mass Number	190
G-Factor
Half Life	5.3 ± 0.7 s
Spin	3
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	2009
Parity

¹⁹⁰Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁻ (β⁻ decay)	100%

¹⁹¹Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	190.97153 ± 0.000322 Da
Mass Number	191
G-Factor
Half Life
Spin	7/2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	2009
Parity	+

¹⁹¹Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁻ (β⁻ decay)	%

¹⁹²Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	191.975201 ± 0.000429 Da
Mass Number	192
G-Factor
Half Life	2.2 ± 0.7 s
Spin	2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	2009
Parity

¹⁹²Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁻ (β⁻ decay)	100%
β⁻ n (β⁻-delayed neutron emission)	%

¹⁹³Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	192.97766 ± 0.000429 Da
Mass Number	193
G-Factor
Half Life
Spin	7/2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	2012
Parity	+

¹⁹³Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁻ (β⁻ decay)	%
β⁻ n (β⁻-delayed neutron emission)	%

¹⁹⁴Ta

Abundance	Radioactive ☢️
Relative Atomic Mass	193.98161 ± 0.000537 Da
Mass Number	194
G-Factor
Half Life
Spin
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year	2012
Parity

¹⁹⁴Ta Decay Modes

Decay Mode	Intensity
β⁻ (β⁻ decay)	%
β⁻ n (β⁻-delayed neutron emission)	%

History

Tantalum was discovered in Sweden in 1802 by Anders Ekeberg in the minerals tantalite from Finland and yttrotantalite from Sweden. Unfortunately, William Hyde Wollaston claimed Ekeberg's new element was actually niobium, which had also been discovered in 1802. In 1846, German chemist Heinrich Rose finally proved beyond doubt that tantalum and niobium were different elements. Named after Tantalos, a Greek mythological character, father of Niobe

Discoverers	Anders Ekeberg
Discovery Location	Sweden
Discovery Year	1802
Etymology (Name Origin)	From king Tantalus of Greek mythology, father of Niobe.
Pronunciation	TAN-te-lem (English)

Tantalum is considered to be non-toxic

Tantalum occurs principally in the mineral columbite-tantalite

Uses

Tantalum is used in the electronics industry for capacitors and high power resistors. The high melting point and oxidation resistance lead to the use of the metal in the production of vacuum furnace parts. Tantalum oxide is used to make special glass with high index of refraction for camera lenses. Often used as an economical substitute for platinum. Tantalum pentoxide is used in capacitors and in camera lenses to increase refracting power. It and its alloys are corrosion and wear resistant so it is used to make surgical and dental tools.

Sources

Chiefly occurs in the mineral tantalite. Always found with niobium.

Abundance
Abundance in Earth's crust	2 mg/kg
Abundance in Oceans	0.000002 mg/L
Abundance in Human Body
Abundance in Meteor	0.000002 %
Abundance in Sun
Abundance in Universe	0.000000008 %

Nuclear Screening Constants

1	s	1.4163
2	p	4.4136
2	s	19.0702
3	d	13.5589
3	p	21.1996
3	s	21.9085
4	d	36.676
4	f	39.5296
4	p	34.2652
4	s	33.2412
5	d	56.632
5	p	52.5265
5	s	50.3065
6	s	63.475

Tantalum on ChemicalAid

Australian Educational Vocabulary ID	scot/3580
CAB ID	277332
CAS Registry Number	7440-25-7
CPV Supplementary	AA26
Canadian Encyclopedia article ID	tantalum
ChEBI ID	33348
ChemSpider ID	22395
Common Procurement Vocabulary	14754000
DSSTOX compound identifier	DTXCID6047654
DSSTox substance ID	DTXSID8064690
Den Store Danske ID	tantal
DrugBank ID	12859
ECHA Substance Infocard ID	100.028.304
Encyclopædia Britannica Online ID	science/tantalum
Encyclopædia Universalis ID	tantale
Encyclopædia Universalis ID	tantale-et-niobium
Freebase ID	/m/025sk7r
French Vikidia ID	Tantale_(chimie)
GND ID	4059023-9
Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana ID	0144962
Great Russian Encyclopedia Online ID	4182203
HSDB ID	2533
Human Metabolome Database ID	HMDB0004143
ICSC ID	1596
InChI	InChI=1S/Ta
InChIKey	GUVRBAGPIYLISA-UHFFFAOYSA-N
KBpedia ID	Tantalum
Library of Congress authority ID	sh85132346
MeSH descriptor ID	D013635
NDL Authority ID	00572700
National Library of Israel J9U ID	987007558428505171
OmegaWiki Defined Meaning	360513
OpenAlex ID	C514619126
PDB ligand ID	TA0
PDB structure ID	4LVP
PSH ID	5767
Probes And Drugs ID	PD058411
PubChem CID	23956
Quora topic ID	Tantalum
RxNorm ID	1311490
Römpp online ID	RD-20-00208
Store medisinske leksikon ID	tantal
Store norske leksikon ID	tantal
Treccani ID	tantalio
UK Parliament thesaurus ID	478896
UNII	6424HBN274
USGS Thesaurus ID	1584
Wolfram Language entity code	Entity["Mineral", "Tantalum"]
WordNet 3.1 Synset ID	14680845-n
YSO ID	26971
ZVG number	8440

Tantalum (Ta)

Properties

Isotopes of Tantalum

155Ta

155Ta Decay Modes

156Ta

156Ta Decay Modes

157Ta

157Ta Decay Modes

158Ta

158Ta Decay Modes

159Ta

159Ta Decay Modes

160Ta

160Ta Decay Modes

161Ta

161Ta Decay Modes

162Ta

162Ta Decay Modes

163Ta

163Ta Decay Modes

164Ta

164Ta Decay Modes

165Ta

165Ta Decay Modes

166Ta

166Ta Decay Modes

167Ta

167Ta Decay Modes

168Ta

168Ta Decay Modes

169Ta

169Ta Decay Modes

170Ta

170Ta Decay Modes

171Ta

171Ta Decay Modes

172Ta

172Ta Decay Modes

173Ta

173Ta Decay Modes

174Ta

174Ta Decay Modes

175Ta

175Ta Decay Modes

176Ta

176Ta Decay Modes

177Ta

177Ta Decay Modes

178Ta

178Ta Decay Modes

179Ta

179Ta Decay Modes

180Ta

180Ta Decay Modes

181Ta

182Ta

182Ta Decay Modes

183Ta

183Ta Decay Modes

184Ta

184Ta Decay Modes

185Ta

185Ta Decay Modes

186Ta

186Ta Decay Modes

187Ta

187Ta Decay Modes

188Ta

188Ta Decay Modes

189Ta

189Ta Decay Modes

190Ta

190Ta Decay Modes

191Ta

191Ta Decay Modes

192Ta

192Ta Decay Modes

193Ta

193Ta Decay Modes