• A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Ropar has found the presence of tantalum, a rare metal, in the Sutlej river sand in Punjab.

ABOUT TANTALUM

• Tantalum is a rare metal with the atomic number 73 — the number of protons found in one atom of the element.
• It is grey, heavy, very hard, and one of the most corrosion-resistant metals in use today.
• It possesses high corrosion resistance because when exposed to air, it forms an oxide layer that is extremely difficult to remove, even when it interacts with strong and hot acid environments.
• It is almost completely immune to chemical attack at temperatures below 150°C, and is attacked only by hydrofluoric acid, acidic solutions containing the fluoride ion, and free sulphur trioxide.
• When pure, tantalum is ductile (meaning it can be stretched, pulled, or drawn into a thin wire or thread without breaking).
• Tantalum also has an extremely high melting point, exceeded only by tungsten and rhenium.
• Discovery
  • Tantalum was discovered by Anders Gustaf Ekenberg, a Swedish chemist, in 1802 in minerals obtained from Ytterby, Sweden.
  • The rare metal has been named after a Greek mythological figure Tantalus, the rich but wicked king of a town above Mount Sipylus in Anatolia.
• Applications
  • It is most prominently used in the electronic sector.
  • As tantalum has a high melting point, it is frequently used as a substitute for platinum, which is more expensive.
  • The rare metal is also used to make components for chemical plants, nuclear power plants, aeroplanes and missiles.
  • Tantalum does not react with bodily fluids and is used to make surgical equipment and implants, like artificial joints.