Tantalum isa soft, ductile, grey-blue metal with a high melting point. The metal is highlyresistant to chemical attack and has a high electrical capacitance. Itsphysical properties make it ideal for numerous applications, particularly inthe electronics and aerospace industries.

Tantalum was discovered in 1802 by Anders Gustaf Ekeberg. Themetal was named after Tantalus from Greek mythology.
The use of tantalum has expanded dramatically since the 1940s as a result ofmajor advances in electronics. The principal source of tantalum until the 1990swas tin mining, where tantalum was extracted as a by-product. By the 1990s themain source of tantalum came from the extraction of specific tantalum ores indifferent parts of the world.
Consumption of tantalum increased significantly in the second half of the 1990swith the demand for capacitors required for products in the rapidly growingconsumer electronics market.
Today, the market for tantalum is supported by the growth in consumerelectronics and aerospace industries that has resulted in a reduction ofavailable stockpiles.
Concerted global action by a range of companies in the supply chain via the EICC, has led to measures designedto eliminate conflict-mined material. This in turn has led to an increase fortantalum products that are known to be derived from sustainable andethical sources.