(Gr. Tantalos, from mythology, father of Niobe) Discovered in 1802 by Ekeberg. Found mainly in the mineral columbite (tantalite). Ores are found in Australia, Brazil, Mozambique, Thailand, Portugal, Nigeria, Zaire and Canada.
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transition metal, gray, heavy, hard, ductile, tensile (ability to be stretched into a wire), 16 isotopes, reactive at higher temp.
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alloying to add higher melting point, strength and ductility, vacuum furnace parts, used to make nuclear reactor aircraft and missile parts, surgical appliances, in surgery as bone pins, filaments in light bulbs, oxide is used to make special glass for camera lenses