A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Ropar has found the presence of tantalum, a rare metal, in the Sutlej river sand in Punjab.
The discovery of this rare metal in the Sutlej River could help India become the global hub of the semiconductor and chip-making industry, as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Tantalum is a rare grey, heavy, very hard, and one of the most corrosion-resistant metals in use today. It possesses high corrosion resistance because when exposed to air, it forms an oxide layer that is extremely difficult to remove, even when it interacts with strong and hot acid environments.
In pure form, tantalum is ductile, meaning it can be stretched, pulled, or drawn into a thin wire or thread without breaking.
According to the US Department of Energy. Moreover, “It is almost completely immune to chemical attack at temperatures below 150°C, and is attacked only by hydrofluoric acid, acidic solutions containing the fluoride ion, and free sulfur trioxide.”
Uses of Tantalum: It is widely used in the electronics and semiconductor industry because of its unique characteristics. The capacitors made of Tantalum are able to store more amount of electricity without much leakage than any other capacitors. This usage makes the metal ideal for use in portable devices, including smartphones, laptops, and cameras.
Moreover, it is also used as a cheap alternative to platinum which is widely used for jewelry and in converters for cars, trucks, and buses.
Tantalum is also prominently used in the defense sector in chemical plants, nuclear power plants, missiles, and fighter jets.
Tantalum is a key material in steel manufacturing, as well as many modern technologies — the critical metal is used in capacitors for everything from computers and mobile phones to air conditioners and refrigerators.
Despite its importance in the world today, tantalum mining takes place in very few countries. Democratic Republic of Congo, Brazil, Rwanda, Nigeria, and China are the largest producers of tantalum in the world.
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