Tantalum Physical Properties
Chemical symbol Ta, steel gray metal, belongs to group VB in the periodic table of
elements, atomic number 73, atomic weight 180.9479, body-centered cubic crystal,
common valence is +5. The hardness of tantalum is low and is related to the oxygen
content. The Vickers hardness of ordinary pure tantalum is only 140HV in the
annealed state. Its melting point is as high as 2995°C, ranking fifth among the
elemental substances after carbon, tungsten, rhenium and osmium. Tantalum is
malleable and can be drawn into thin filaments to make thin foils. Its coefficient of
thermal expansion is small. It only expands by 6.6 parts per million per degree Celsius.
In addition, its toughness is very strong, even better than copper.
CAS number: 7440-25-7
Element category: transition metal elements.
Relative atomic mass: 180.94788 (12C = 12.0000)
Density: 16650kg/m³; 16.654g/cm³
Hardness: 6.5
Location: Sixth cycle, Group VB, Zone d
Appearance: Steel Gray Metallic
Electron configuration: [Xe] 4f14 5d3 6s2
Atomic volume: 10.90cm3/mol
The content of elements in seawater: 0.000002ppm
Content in the crust: 1ppm
Oxidation state: +5 (major), -3, -1, 0, +1, +2, +3
Crystal structure: The unit cell is a body-centered cubic unit cell, and each unit cell
contains 2 metal atoms.
Cell parameters:
a = 330.13 pm
b = 330.13 pm
c = 330.13 pm
α = 90°
β = 90°
γ = 90°
Vickers hardness (arc melting and cold hardening): 230HV
Vickers hardness (recrystallization annealing): 140HV
Vickers hardness (after one electron beam melting): 70HV
Vickers hardness (melted by secondary electron beam): 45-55HV
Melting point: 2995°C
The propagation speed of sound in it: 3400m/s
Ionization energy (kJ/mol)
M – M+ 761
M+ – M2+ 1500
M2+ – M3+ 2100
M3+ – M4+ 3200
M4+ – M5+ 4300
Discovered by: 1802 by Swedish chemist Anders Gustafa Eckberg.
Element naming: Ekberg named the element after Tantalus, the father of the Queen
Neobi of Thebes in ancient Greek mythology.
Source: It mainly exists in tantalite and coexists with niobium.
Post time: Jan-06-2023