Table of Contents
What is Tantulum?
Tantalum is a transition metal with atomic number 73 in the periodic table. It is extremely resistant to corrosion and inert to sulfuric and hydrochloric acid below 150°C [1]. Tantalum is quite ductile and malleable, which makes it easy to form and weld. It has high thermal and electrical conductivity and an extremely high melting point of 3000°C [2]. Tantalum is rather heavy, but very strong. It is commonly used in chemical processes, pharmaceuticals, and steel pickling. Tantalum is often used with tungsten to create an alloy with very high chemical resistance and physical strength.
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| Figure 1: Tantalum raw metal [3] | Figure 2: Tantalum pipes fully prepared [4] |
Applications of Tantalum in Piping
Tantalum is commonly used as a heat exchanger in many applications. Due to its high heat resistance, it can withstand extremely hot fluids coming in and out. It is also used in chemical processes such as transporting acids. Tantalum is inert to most acids up to high temperatures and so it is perfect for these applications. For the same reasons, it is also used as a heat exchanger for steel pickling. Tantalum is a specialized material and does not see much use outside of these applications [2].
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Figure 1: Corrosion resistance of tantalum vs other common corrosion resistant metals [2] | Figure 2: A Tantalum heat exchanger [2] |
Advantages and Disadvantages of Tantalum
Tantalum is a strong metal in both tension and compression, but pays for its strength by being extremely dense [5]. Tantalum has very good chemical resistance until high temperatures, so it is excellent with heated acids. Tantalum is very ductile and malleable which makes it very easy to form. It has a very high melting point which allows it to maintain its chemical and physical properties up to a very high temperature. However, tantalum is very expensive compared to other common metals, which is a major drawback.Contributors:
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