There’s a Tantalum Product for Every Application

Tantalum?

Tantalum metal is a highly corrosion-resistant transition metal. Though you may not realise it, tantalum metal is used in many different products nowadays, being applied to serve a particular purpose and have its characteristics put to good use. Companies such as Special Metal Fabrications or general tantalum manufacturers deal in tantalum every day (due to it being a refractory metal) and so are used to its properties due to fabricating it constantly and helping in applying it to products that are due to be highly conductive of heat and/or electricity.

Cutting Tools

Tantalum, when formed into the product tantalum carbide, is perfect to be applied to cutting tools in numerous different industries. This is due to the fact that tantalum carbide increases high-temperature deformation and also helps in the control of grain growth. This means that cutting tools stay hardened at high temperatures, tantalum carbide having a melting point of 2996°C (dependant on purity and measurement conditions).

Lenses

Tantalum, when formed into the product tantalum oxide, can be used in the manufacturing of lenses for items such as spectacles, digital cameras and mobile phones. This is because tantalum oxide provides a high manifestation of refraction. This means that lenses, for a given vocal strength,  can therefore be thinner and smaller.

Technology/Medical Appliances

Tantalum, when formed into the product of tantalum powder, can be used in capacitors for electronic circuits in various pieces of entertainment technology and technological pieces in general. Examples of this are DVD players, flat screen TV’s, gaming consoles, battery chargers, video cameras and laptop computers. This is because tantalum powder (when used in capacitors) can operate during a wide temperate range, ranging between -55°C to +200°C. When technology devices can potentially overheat, namely gaming consoles and flat screen TV’s, the powder assists in allowing the electronic circuits to remain functional and not become damaged.

These capacitors for electronic circuits also tend to be applied in the medical world, namely in the manufacturing of hearing aids and pacemakers. This is due to the fact that these capacitors can withstand severe vibrational forces. Because of this, medically powered items are more likely to remain functional, which is perfect for such important, life-changing medical appliances such as hearing aids and pacemakers.

Prosthetic Devices

Tantalum, when in the form of product tantalum sheets, plates, rods and wires, tends to be applied to prosthetic devices for people. These prosthetic devices can include hip joints, skull plates, stents for blood vessels and mesh to help repair bone removed after damage from the effects of cancer. The reason for tantalum sheets and these various other products being used in this way is that the tantalum material, and likewise the body fluids of a human, do not reject each other, making these tantalum products bio-compatible. This means that tantalum sheets and the various other products such as plates, rods and wires can be fitted and attached to a person’s body without any kind of complications that can cause further harm somewhere down the line.

Furnace Parts

Again, when Tantalum is in the form of tantalum sheets, plates, rods and wires, it can be used in the manufacturing of high-temperature furnace parts. This is due to the fact that the normal melting point of tantalum is 2996°C. This extremely high temperature ensures that furnace parts can be created without the worry of them melting or not lasting.

Air/Land Turbines

Tantalum sheets, plates, rods and wires are also put to use as high-temperature alloys for various applications. These applications include, air and land-based turbines, such as jet engine discs, blades and vanes. They are used for applications such as these because alloy compositions containing 3-11% tantalum metal offer resistance to corrosion via hot gases and allow high operating temperatures, therefore more efficiency and fuel economy. These points make this form of tantalum perfect for applications involved in turbines and jet engines.

Hard Drive Discs

Tantalum, when in the form of tantalum ingot, will tend to be used in the manufacturing of computer hard drive discs. This is because any alloy containing exactly 6% tantalum metal has shape memory properties. This enables this form of tantalum to be beneficial in the manufacturing of hard drive discs due to the applications capabilities.

Chemical Processing Equipment

When tantalum is in the form of tantalum sheets and plates, it can be applied to chemical process equipment. These can include lining, cladding, tanks, valves and heat exchangers. This is because of tantalum’s property of being superiorly corrosion resistant. This means a tantalum sheet and tantalum plate can withstand the effects of highly toxic chemical fluids, making them perfect for being in place to encase them.

Special Metals

Special Metal Fabrications pride themselves on their specialising in supplying, machining and fabrication of refractory metal products since 2004. In terms of tantalum, Special Metal Fabrications have many years of experience in machining tantalum and as general tantalum manufacturers and tantalum suppliers. Want to know more about our expertise in machining tantalum? Contact us today! You can call us on 01268 820409 or 01268 280665 and alternatively you can contact us by emailing sales@special-metals.co.uk. One of our specialist team members will be more than happy to answer queries or general questions you may have.

Posted on: Sep 24, 2018