General information on the applications of tantalum and niobium

Our life would never be as advanced and comfortable as it is if not for the applications of tantalum and niobium. These materials unique properties ensure their increasing usage in electronic, optic, mechanical, aerospace, nuclear and other modem applications. 

Tantalum and niobium are added, in the form of carbides, to cemented carbide compositions used in the production of cutting tools. Pure oxides are widely used in the optical industry as additives and deposits, and in organic synthesis processes as catalysts and promoters [12, 13]. Binaiy and more complex oxide compounds based on tantalum and niobium form a huge family of ferroelectric materials that have high Curie temperatures, high dielectric permittivity, and piezoelectric, pyroelectric and non-linear optical properties [14-17]. Compounds of this class are used in the production of energy transformers, quantum electronics, piezoelectrics, acoustics, and so on. Two of 

The major consumer of tantalum is the capacitor production industry. About 60% of the total amount of tantalum currently produced is in the form of fine, agglomerated high purity powder of capacitor grade. Tantalum capacitors have high volumetric efficiency and reliability. A basic description of tantalum capacitor technology is presented in overview [19]. 

Tantalum production has increased steadily and strongly since 1993. An optimistic forecast regarding the strongly increasing demand for tantalum capacitors caused excessive demand for tantalum powder in 2000, when the overproduction of capacitors led to a sharp shortage in tantalum powder. It is still difficult to predict when the electronics industry will return to balanced condition. 

---