Tantalum, a rare metallic element, is known for its inertness and resistance to chemical attack. It is used in various industrial applications, including light bulb filaments, electronic parts, and medical implants. Tantalum is not very dangerous, but precautions should be taken when working with it to avoid inhaling particles and fumes.
Tantalum is a metallic chemical element classified among the transition metals in the periodic table of elements. It is a relatively rare element and has few uses, most of which are industrial. Consumers may have interacted with tantalum if they have medical implants or have undergone surgery. This element is particularly renowned for its inertness and ability to resist chemical attack from a wide range of substances.
This element appears naturally in the element tantalite and often appears in compounds with niobium, a closely related element. When isolated, tantalum is a very hard and heavy dull gray metal, although it is relatively ductile when heated. The element has atomic number 73, and is identified on the periodic table of elements with the symbol Ta. Like other metals in the transition group, tantalum is solid at room temperature and the melting point of tantalum is approximately 3.290 Kelvin (5.463 degrees Fahrenheit or 3.017 degrees Celsius).
Credit for the discovery of tantalum is usually given to Anders Ekeberg, who observed the element in Sweden in 1802. It took another 18 years to isolate the element, which was named after Tantalus, a character in Greek mythology. Tantalus is famous for being forced to stand in a pool of water under a tempting array of grapes; however, if he stooped to drink, the pool would dry up, and if he got up to eat, the grapes would drift away. Tantalus, in other words, was surrounded by temptations that could not touch him, just as tantalum remains inert even when surrounded by corrosive materials.
The main sources of this metal are Australia, Canada and Brazil. It is used in light bulb filaments, various electronic parts, capacitors and lightning arresters. The element is also used in the construction of nuclear reactors and is bonded with other metals for various purposes. Tantalum carbide is also useful as an industrial grinding material. In medicine, tantalum is used in some surgical instruments and as a coating for some medical implants to minimize rejection.
This element does not appear to be very dangerous, although tantalum has been linked to cancers in some cases. Dust also poses an explosives risk, and face protection should be worn when grinding or other tantalum work to avoid inhaling particles and fumes.
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