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The mineral group tantalite [(Fe, Mn)Ta 2 O 6] is the primary source of the chemical element tantalum, a corrosion (heat and acid) resistant metal. It is chemically similar to columbite , and the two are often grouped together as a semi-singular mineral called coltan or "columbite-tantalite" in many mineral guides.
Coltan (short for columbite–tantalites and known industrially as tantalite) is a dull black metallic ore from which the elements niobium and tantalum are extracted. The niobium-dominant mineral in coltan is columbite (after niobium's original American name columbium ), and the tantalum-dominant mineral is tantalite .
This is a list of prices of chemical elements.Listed here are mainly average market prices for bulk trade of commodities. Data on elements' abundance in Earth's crust is added for comparison.
Tantalite (Fe, Mn)Ta 2 O 6 is the most important mineral for tantalum extraction. Tantalite has the same mineral structure as columbite (Fe, Mn) (Ta, Nb) 2 O 6; when there is more tantalum than niobium it is called tantalite and when there is more niobium than tantalum is it called columbite (or niobite).
Kenticha was mined for tantalum from 1990-2017. [5] Peak production from the mine was 90-95 tons of tantalum concentrate per year, valued at $20 million dollars/year. [3] Another sources states that before 2012, the mine produced 275 tons of tantalum/year, which was nearly 14% of global supply. [6]
Three Aloes represents one of the largest tantalum reserves in Namibia, having estimated reserves of 13.2 million tonnes of ore grading 0.026% tantalum. [1] The mine lies 10km south of Uis. As of 2002, it was the largest tantalite producer in Namibia. [2]
Tantalite (coltan) mining can cause health problems for women and children who work in the mines. As more women turn to mining for income, they are performing dangerous tasks such as pounding the stone which contains tantalum. The fibers this releases get into the lungs and affect both women and babies they carry on their backs. [122] "More ...
Columbite, also called niobite, niobite-tantalite and columbate, with a general chemical formula of (Fe II,Mn II)Nb 2 O 6, is a black mineral group that is an ore of niobium. It has a submetallic luster, a high density, and is a niobate of iron and manganese. Niobite has many applications in areospace, construction and the medical industry.