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Ta
Z 73 · ATOMIC MASS 180.948

Tantalum & Ta Alloys

Corrosion-immune refractory metal.   Spherical and capacitor-grade tantalum powder. Applications from EFP liners and shaped-charge jets to chemical-process equipment and orthopedic implants. Conflict-free supply chain, DFARS-compliant, RMI-audited.

Program Intake Program Tiers
Grades
Ta · Ta-2.5W · Ta-10W
Purity
99.95% · 99.99%
PSD cuts
15–45 · 45–106 μm · capacitor
Process
PA · EB-melt + atomized
Lead time
4 weeks standard
Sourcing
Conflict-free · RMI audited
01METALLURGY

Tantalum is essentially immune to attack by mineral acids at temperatures below 150°C, making it the metal of choice for chemical-process heat exchangers, glass-lined-reactor linings, and pharmaceutical mixing equipment. Its high density (16.6 g/cm³), refractory character, and ductility under shock loading make it the primary explosively-formed penetrator (EFP) liner material.

The tantalum supply chain has historically been dominated by artisanal Central African mining (DRC, Rwanda). We source exclusively from RMI-audited, conflict-free suppliers (Australia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Canada) with full mine-to-mill traceability compliant with Dodd-Frank §1502 and DFARS 252.225-7009.

02SPECIFICATION
Chemistry — Pure Ta
ASTM B708 (bar) · ASTM B364 (billet)
Chemistry — Ta-2.5W
ASTM B708 · W 2.0–3.5%, C ≤ 100 ppm
Chemistry — Ta-10W
ASTM B708 · W 9.0–11.0%, higher strength
Oxygen (spherical)
≤ 300 ppm
Carbon
≤ 50 ppm
Nitrogen
≤ 100 ppm
Hydrogen
≤ 15 ppm
Morphology
Spherical (PA) or angular (capacitor-grade)
Apparent density
Reported per lot COA under program qualification
Hall flow
Reported per lot COA under program qualification
PSD (LPBF)
Reported per lot COA under program qualification
Capacitor grade
30k–200k CV/g on request
Traceability
Mine → refinery → EB-melt → atomizer (RMI chain)
03GRADES & ALLOYS
Pure Ta 99.95%
General corrosion-resistant applications, chemical process.
Pure Ta 99.99%
High-purity for medical implants, capacitor anodes.
Ta-2.5W
Solid-solution strengthened. Higher creep resistance.
Ta-10W
Highest-strength Ta alloy. Aerospace and defense structural.
Ta-40Nb
Reduced density, lower cost. Chemical-process heat exchangers.
Capacitor-grade Ta
Sintered anode powder for tantalum electrolytic capacitors.
04PROCESSING ROUTES
LPBF
Emerging. Requires preheat and vacuum-purge atmosphere.
EBM
Well-suited to Ta due to vacuum atmosphere. Program qualification.
Explosive forming (EFP)
Primary route for penetrator liners. Sintered preforms.
CVD coating
Ta coating on process-vessel steel substrates.
Press & sinter
For capacitor anodes and precision components.
Cladding
Ta clad on steel for chemical-process linings.
05APPLICATIONS
Defense
EFP & Shaped-Charge Liners
Pure Ta for explosively-formed penetrators and shaped-charge jets. DFARS-compliant conflict-free supply.
Chemical
Process Equipment
Heat exchangers, reactor linings, thermowells for HCl, H₂SO₄, HNO₃ service.
Medical
Orthopedic Implants
Porous Ta scaffolds and trabecular bone-ingrowth structures. Excellent biocompatibility.
Electronics
Capacitor Anodes
Sintered Ta capacitor anodes for high-CV/g performance.
Aerospace
High-Temp Structural
Ta-10W for hypersonic leading edges and rocket engine components.
Nuclear
Reactor Components
Corrosion resistance in liquid-metal-cooled reactor loops.
06QUALITY CONTROL
Chemistry
LECO (O/N/C/H) · ICP-MS · GDMS for < 1 ppm trace impurities
PSD
Laser diffraction per ASTM B822
Morphology
SEM per lot
Conflict-free verification
RMI CMRT documentation per lot
Radiological
Gamma spec (Ta is often co-mined with Nb-U-Th minerals)
Capacitor CV/g
Anode-sinter test on capacitor-grade lots
Every lot ships with a mill-certified Certificate of Conformance (CofC) documenting chemistry, PSD, morphology, flow, and traceability from mill heat through atomization to PO. Retained samples are held per lot for program-life duration.

Move it to a
program.

MPS-1 qualification, MPS-2 production, or MPS-3 strategic supply. 4-week standard lead time on qualified stock.

Program Intake Compare Program Tiers