Q. Consider the following statements:
1.Tantalum is a very hard, ductile, lustrous, blue-gray transition critical metal that is highly corrosion-resistant.
2.The presence of tantalum has been found in the Sutlej River sand in Punjab.
3.India stands as one of the prominent nations engaged in the commercial mining of tantalum.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Explanation –
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Tantalum is a hard, ductile, and lustrous metal with a blue-gray color. It is highly corrosion-resistant and is considered a critical metal because of its importance in various industries. Recent research conducted by a team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Ropar has discovered the presence of tantalum in the Sutlej River in Punjab. This discovery has significant implications for India’s electronics and semiconductor industry.
Statement 3 is incorrect. Despite the tantalum discovery in Punjab, India has not yet started mining tantalum commercially. The Indian government is currently exploring the feasibility of tantalum mining in the region, but it has not yet reached the stage of commercial production.
Source: ForumIAS
