Tantalum usage has been developed significantly over recent years and is now used extensively in the manufacture of capacitors in electronic applications such as mobile phones and computers; in superalloys with nickel and cobalt for the aerospace industry; in specialty metal products for the electronics, Optical, aerospace, medical, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries; and in metal carbide for the metal working tools industry. The key properties that have led to its increased and varied usage are detailed below:

Superior Dielectric Properties
• Possessing the capability to grow uniform and stable oxides with good dielectric properties.
• Used extensively in the manufacture of tantalum capacitors with higher capacitance voltage, better heat transf er and frequency characteristics than other types of capacitor.
• Used as target materials in semi-conducting and optical industries.
• Constituting the major significant application of tantalum.

Excellent Corrosion Resistance
• Immune to corrosive attack by acids and liquid metals.
• Widely applied in the chemical, medical and pharmaceutical industries; fabrication of heating elements, surgical implants, combustion turbines and jet engines.

Good Thermal Conductivity
• Used as an efficient heat transfer surface, especially in acidic or corrosive environments.

High melting Point
• High temperature strength, combined with workability and corrosion resistance.
• Used in the fabrication of superior heat shields; heating elements; electrodes and other high temperature components.

Ductility, Workability and Wieldability
• Tough, durable and ductile, surpassing most other refractory metals.