Distribution Of Tantalum Resources

Tantalum is one of the rare metal mineral resources and an indispensable strategic raw material for the development of the electronics industry and space technology.
Tantalum and niobium have similar physico-chemical properties and therefore co-occur in natural minerals. The division of tantalum or niobium ore is mainly based on the content of tantalum and niobium in the mineral, when the content of niobium is high, it is called niobium ore, and when the content of tantalum is high, it is called tantalum ore. Niobium is mainly used in the manufacture of carbon steel, super alloys, high-strength low-alloy steel, stainless steel, heat-resistant steel and alloy steel; tantalum is mainly used in the production of electronic components and alloys. Tantalum and niobium minerals are complex in form and chemical composition, which, in addition to tantalum and niobium, often contain rare earth metals, titanium, zirconium, tungsten, uranium, thorium and tin. The main minerals of tantalum are: tantalite [(Fe,Mn)(Ta,Nb)2O6], heavy tantalite (FeTa2O6), fine crystals [(Na,Ca)Ta2O6(O,OH,F)] and black dilute gold ore [(Y,Ca,Ce,U,Th)(Nb,Ta,Ti)2O6] and so on. Tantalum is also an important resource of tantalum as it is contained in the waste slag of tin refining. The world's tantalum reserves (in tantalum) have been identified as about 134,000 short tons, with Zaire occupying the first place.The world production of tantalum minerals (in tantalum) in 1979 was 788 short tons (1 short ton = 907.2 kilograms). The process of extracting tantalum from minerals containing relatively low levels of tantalum has been accomplished in China .

Capacitors are the main final consumer of tantalum, accounting for about 60% of the total consumption. The United States is the largest consumer of tantalum, with a consumption of 500 tons in 1997, 60% of which was used in the production of tantalum capacitors. Japan is the second largest consumer of tantalum, with a consumption of 334 tons. at the beginning of the 21st century, with the rapid development of the production of capacitors, the market demand exceeds supply. It is expected that the world production of tantalum capacitors amounted to 250 million pieces, need to consume tantalum 1000 tons. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the natural reserves of tantalum in the earth's crust is 150,000 tons, can be mined reserves of more than 43,000 tons. 2004, the world's tantalum mining amounted to 1,510 tons, of which 730 tons in Australia, 280 tons in Mozambique, 250 tons in Brazil, 69 tons in Canada, 60 tons in the Congo. China's resources, mainly in Jiangxi, Fujian, Xinjiang, Guangxi, Hunan and other provinces. From the demand of future development, capacitors are still the main application areas of tantalum. If calculated according to the reserve base of 24,000 tons, it can only guarantee the demand for 24 years. Nevertheless, the prospect of tantalum resources is still favorable. First of all, in the world's very rich niobium deposits, accompanied by a large number of tantalum resources. Among them, the tantalum resources of the Gadal niobium and tantalum mine in southern Greenland amount to 1 million tons. Secondly, the West has begun to utilize large quantities of tin slag containing less than 3% Ta2O5. In addition, the research and use of substitutes has also developed rapidly, such as aluminum and ceramics in the field of capacitors instead of tantalum; silicon, germanium, cesium can be used in electronic instruments, instead of tantalum manufacturing rectifiers and so on.