Tantalum Micron Powder ( Ta, 99.9 %, 3 µm )

Technical Description:

Tantalum Micron Powder (Ta, 99.9%, 3 µm) is a fine, high-purity powder composed of tantalum (Ta) with a purity of 99.9%. The powder has an average particle size of 3 micrometers (µm), offering a high surface area that makes it highly reactive and suitable for specialized applications. Tantalum is a refractory metal known for its excellent properties, including high melting point, corrosion resistance, and high strength at elevated temperatures.

• Chemical Composition:
  • Tantalum (Ta) content: 99.9%, ensuring minimal contamination. The high purity of tantalum powder makes it ideal for demanding applications in industries where impurities can significantly impact performance, such as aerospace, electronics, and medical fields.
• Particle Size:
  • The powder has a particle size of 3 µm, which offers a balance between fine and medium-sized particles. This size range ensures a high surface area while maintaining good flowability and handling characteristics.
• Shape:
  • The powder is typically irregular in shape, which is common for micron-sized powders. Irregularly shaped particles may offer certain advantages in applications where mechanical interlocking or enhanced reactivity at the surface is required.
• Purity:
  • With 99.9% purity, the tantalum powder has very low levels of impurities, ensuring that it meets the stringent requirements for high-performance applications, including in electronics, aerospace, and medical devices.

Applications:

1. Electronics and Capacitors:
   • Tantalum powder is commonly used in the manufacture of tantalum capacitors, which are used in electronics and communication devices. The fine 3 µm powder is used to create high-performance capacitors that offer high capacitance, small size, and excellent reliability, especially in critical applications like smartphones, computers, and military systems.
2. Powder Metallurgy:
   • Tantalum powder is utilized in powder metallurgy to produce sintered components, which are often used in aerospace, defense, and industrial applications. The fine powder is sintered to form parts with high mechanical strength, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance. Tantalum’s resistance to heat and corrosion makes it ideal for producing components in harsh environments.
3. Aerospace and Defense:
   • Tantalum’s high melting point and exceptional resistance to corrosion make it an ideal material for aerospace and defense applications. Tantalum powder is used to create components for jet engines, heat shields, missiles, and other high-performance parts that need to withstand extreme temperatures and environments.
4. Medical Implants:
   • Tantalum is biocompatible, making it ideal for medical implants. Tantalum powder is used in the manufacture of implants such as joint replacements, dental implants, and surgical tools. The high purity ensures that the material is safe for long-term use in the human body, offering excellent corrosion resistance in the biological environment.
5. High-Temperature Applications:
   • Due to its high melting point (approximately 3,020°C or 5,468°F), tantalum is used in high-temperature applications such as furnace components, heating elements, and chemical reactors. Tantalum powder is used to produce components that must withstand extreme thermal conditions without degrading.
6. Chemical Processing:
   • Tantalum is highly resistant to corrosion from many acids, including hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid, making it valuable in the chemical processing industry. Tantalum powder is used to create corrosion-resistant components for reactors, heat exchangers, and vessels used in the processing of corrosive chemicals, particularly in the production of semiconductors and pharmaceuticals.
7. Hydrogen Storage:
   • Tantalum is sometimes used in hydrogen storage technologies due to its ability to absorb hydrogen. Tantalum-based materials can be used in metal hydride systems for hydrogen storage applications, which are used in energy systems such as fuel cells or as storage for renewable energy solutions.
8. Electroplating:
   • Tantalum powder is used in electroplating processes to create tantalum coatings. These coatings are applied to various metal surfaces to enhance their corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and high-temperature performance. Tantalum-coated components are critical in industries like aerospace, medical devices, and chemical processing.
9. Sputtering Targets:
   • Tantalum powder is used to make sputtering targets, which are employed in the thin-film deposition process, especially in the semiconductor and electronics industries. The fine powder is used to produce thin films of tantalum for devices such as flat-panel displays, solar cells, and semiconductors.
10. Superalloys:
    • Tantalum is an important component of superalloys, which are used in the production of high-performance materials for extreme conditions. Tantalum powder is used in producing high-temperature alloys for turbine blades, jet engines, and rocket nozzles, where resistance to heat and mechanical stress is critical.
11. Fuel Cell Components:
    • Tantalum’s properties make it useful in fuel cells, especially in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Tantalum powder is used to produce electrodes and interconnects for fuel cell technology, providing high efficiency and durability in energy systems.

Summary of Benefits:

• High Purity: The 99.9% purity ensures that the powder is free from contaminants, making it ideal for precision applications in electronics, medical devices, and aerospace.
• Fine Particle Size (3 µm): The 3 µm particle size provides a balance of high surface area and good flowability, making it suitable for powder metallurgy, additive manufacturing, and coating applications.
• High Melting Point and Corrosion Resistance: Tantalum’s inherent properties make it highly resistant to both high temperatures and corrosion, which is beneficial for applications in harsh environments, including aerospace, defense, and chemical processing.
• Versatility: The powder has a wide range of applications across industries such as electronics, medical devices, aerospace, chemical processing, and energy storage, making it a highly versatile material.

In conclusion, Tantalum Micron Powder (99.9%, 3 µm) is a highly valuable material with a range of advanced applications in industries that require high-performance materials, such as electronics, aerospace, medical, and chemical processing. Its high purity, fine particle size, and exceptional properties such as high melting point and corrosion resistance make it essential for producing durable, reliable components in critical applications.