Tantalum

A dense, corrosion-proof metal that packs capacitance into tiny electronic components, mined largely by hand in central Africa.

Tech & minor metals · No. 35

• EU critical 2023
• US critical 2025
• India critical 2023
• HHI 2,409 · moderately concentrated

Tiny capacitors in electronics pack tantalum often dug by hand in central Africa, where DR Congo and Rwanda supply about 61%.

Chart: Illustration: Tantalum

Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Tantalum comes from pegmatites and weathered deposits, usually with niobium. Artisanal miners wash coltan in Africa's Great Lakes region; Australia and Brazil run larger hard-rock mines. World output was about 2,500 t in 2025.

Three things to know

1. Its anodic oxide is such a good dielectric that a small sintered pellet of powder stores a large, stable charge, which is why capacitors use it.
2. The metal melts above 3,000 C and resists corrosion almost like glass, so it suits chemical plant, medical implants and superalloys.
3. US consumption rose 58% in 2025 to about 890 t, all of it imported; the country has mined none since 1959.

The journey

1. 1 OreColtan and tantalite, often washed by hand
2. 2 ConcentrateTantalite, counted as Ta2O5
3. 3 Acid digestionDissolved, then purified by solvent extraction
4. 4 FluorotantalatePotassium salt reduced to powder, ingot
5. 5 End usesCapacitors, superalloys and carbides

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