Tantalum Resources
- Much of the sensitive equipment in nuclear power plants contains tantalum parts.Medioimages/Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images
Tantalum is a strong and versatile metal often used as a substitute for platinum because it is less expensive. It used in components for airplanes, chemical plants, missiles and nuclear power plants. It is also useful for making surgical tools and artificial body parts such as cranial plates and joints, as it does not cause irritation associated with other metals. It can be found in many areas of the world. - The largest known concentrations of tantalum are in South America, and these are mostly in Brazil. The South American supply of tantalum makes up approximately 40 percent of the world's supply. The second largest concentrations of tantalum are in Australia, where 21 percent of known tantalum exists. Smaller amounts, roughly 10 percent each, exist in and around China as well as in Russia and the Middle East.
- Tantalum mining took place primarily in Australia, Canada, Brazil, Ethiopia and Mozambique until mid-2008. As global economic conditions changed, existing mining operations in Brazil and Ethiopia remained while additional operations began in China. By mid-2009, additional quantities of tantalum were also being mined in central Africa, Russia and southeast Asia.
- Because of tantalum's usefulness as a substitute for platinum and an alloy metal, additional sources have been sought since 2009. Exploratory operations to discover and harvest new sources of tantalum began to take place in Egypt and Saudi Arabia in 2009 and 2010. Renewed interest in Mozambique and Canada also prompted the renewal of mining operations in these areas.
