Tantalum, the rare metal found in Sutlej |ForumIAS

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Source: The post is based on the article “Tantalum, the rare metal found in Sutlej” published in “Indian Express” on 22nd November 2023

Why in the News?

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

Specifications	Details
What is it	A rare metal.
Atomic Number	73
Discovered in	1802 by Anders Gustaf Ekenberg in minerals obtained from Ytterby, Sweden.
Named after	Greek mythological figure Tantalus.
Properties	1) Grey, heavy and very hard metal 2) Highly corrosion resistant as it forms an oxide layer on exposure to air which is extremely difficult to remove. 3) Ductile when pure which means it can be stretched, pulled or drawn into a thin wire or thread without breaking. 4) Immune to most chemical attacks below 150°C. It can be attacked only by hydrofluoric acid, acidic solutions containing the fluoride ion, and free sulphur trioxide. 5) Extraordinarily high melting point, only surpassed by tungsten and rhenium.
Uses	1) Tantalum capacitors store more electricity in smaller sizes with minimal leakage. This makes it ideal for portable electronics like smartphones, laptops, and cameras. 2) Due to its high melting point, it is used as a substitute for platinum, which is more expensive. 3) Used to make components for chemical plants, nuclear power plants, aeroplanes and missiles. 4) Used in surgical equipment and implants due to its inertness with bodily fluids. 5) Tantalum carbide (TaC) and graphite composite is one of the hardest materials. This is used on the cutting edges of high-speed machine tools.

UPSC Syllabus: Science and Technology