Tantalum is a chemical element with the symbol Ta and atomic number 73. It is a very hard, ductile, lustrous, blue-gray transition metal that is highly corrosion-resistant. Tantalum is found in nature primarily in the minerals columbite-tantalite (also known as tantalum-columbite) and tantalite-(Fe,Mn). properties of tantalum: Melting point: 3,020 C (5,453 F) Boiling point: 5,900 C (10,412 F) Density: 16.69 g/cm³ Electrical conductivity: 2.25 (40 C)·cm Thermal conductivity: 13 W/mK (20 C) Hardness: 190 HV (300 C) Corrosion resistance: Excellent resistance to acids and alkalis
