Tantalum

Tantalum is a hard, ductile, blue-gray transition metal that resists corrosion and has an exceptionally high melting point. In nature, it occurs mainly in minerals such as tantalite, often mixed with the chemically similar niobium. To obtain the metal, the ore is processed to separate tantalum from niobium and other materials; the purified tantalum compound is then converted to metal, commonly by reduction with sodium. Tantalum powder is used to make compact capacitors in phones and computers. The metal is also valuable in equipment exposed to corrosive chemicals and in some surgical implants: it can form a durable bond with bone. Tantalum-containing alloys can withstand high temperatures, making them useful in demanding industrial and jet-engine parts.