Tantalum is a dark-coloured metal which occurs naturally in the Earth’s crust as a series of ores, mostly in association with the closely related element niobium. Mostly extracted and purified in Australia, tantalum is difficult to separate from its ore and from the niobium with which it is found: but making the effort is worthwhile, as purified tantalum has an incredible resistance to corrosion and an extremely high melting point – the fifth-highest of all known materials.
In addition to this, pure tantalum is a very hard material, and is completely bioinert, meaning it can be safely used for implants without any risk of a reaction from the immune system or the body of the patient.
These advantages make tantalum cladding an extremely useful addition to your projects. With tantalum cladding, the advantages of pure tantalum can be applied to a component or device made from other materials, creating a “best of both worlds” situation – as seen in piping and pump equipment which transports caustic or corrosive fluids in the petrochemical industry, or titanium bone implants which are coated in tantalum to neutralise any risk of a reaction in the patient.
Tantalum cladding is a great way for businesses to incorporate the advantages of this rare and exceptional metal into their products or combine its properties with the properties of the base material. For more information or to request a quote from the experts at Special Metals UK, you can get in touch on their head office phone number, 01268 820409 or using the contact form on this site!
