Meet #73 in the PT of E. It's Tantalum (Ta), weighing in with an atomic mass of 181. This rare, heavy, hard, grey metal is renown for its corrosion resistance. (It 'tantalizes' scientists with its general non-reactivity.) In fact, its bodily-fluid resistance and non-irritating qualities lend its use in surgical applications. It has a very high melting point (exceeded only by tungsten, rhenium, and carbon) and thus, high heat and electricity conductivity. Ta is used mainly in electronic components (capacitors, resistors.) Tantalum carbide (TaC) is one of the hardest man-made substances and can be used as turbine blades, cutting edges of high speed tools, nuclear reactors, and aircraft and missle parts.
Tantalum was discovered in 1802 in Sweden, but it was not until 1844 that it was actually proven to be different from Niobium (positioned directly above Ta in the Table, found in the same ores, and chemically very similar.) Ta is found primarily in the mineral columbite-tantalite in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Zaire, Nigeria, Portugal.
Ta-da!
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