Tantalum is a rare, hard, blue-gray and highly stable metal that is almost immune to

chemical degradation at temperatures lower than 302 °F (159 °C). In addition, it is

very resistant to corrosion, which protects the material from air and moisture. In

terms of mechanical properties, tantalum is highly ductile, making it suitable for

processes such as bending, stamping, and pressing. When combined with other

metals, it can produce alloys with enhanced strength and higher melting points.

Tantalum features a high degree of biocompatibility, for this reason it is used in

medical technology as a radiographic contrast agent and in the production of bone

replacement material, surgical sutures, implants, pacemakers and artificial joints. In

the aerospace and energy industries, tantalum increases the corrosion resistance of

alloys in turbine blades. Tantalum is also used in the production of reactor coatings,

heat exchangers and pipelines. Tantalum is a desired and essential metal to modern

technology thanks to the wide array of qualities mentioned above, that make it

suitable for many different applications, facilitating for example the production of

smallerelectrical circuits, capacitors, and resistors and therefore facilitating smaller

electrical devices; it is also used for the manufacturing of mobile phones, video game

systems and computers; the average cell phone has about 40 mg. of tantalum inside.