Tantalum

Content maintained by Leesa Carson

• Tantalum
• Resources
• Exploration
• Production
• World Resources and Production
• Industry Developments

The main use of tantalum is in the manufacture of capacitors required for the electronics and telecommunications industries. Due to their small size and high reliability, these capacitors are used in miniaturised electronic circuits, mainly in mobile phones. Tantalum metal is also used in the chemical industry for its anti-corrosive properties, as tantalum carbide in tools for metal cutting and machining, and in metal alloys in the aerospace and electricity-generating industries. Overall, approximately 60% of annual world consumption of tantalum is used in the electronics industry, with more than half of this currently being used in the manufacture of mobile phones.

Tantalum minerals have more than 70 different chemical compositions, of which tantalite, microlite, and wodginite are of greatest economic importance. It is common practice to name any mineral concentrate containing tantalum as 'tantalite'.

Australia, through the mining operations at Greenbushes 250 kilometres (km) south of Perth, Western Australia (WA) and Wodgina 100 km south of Port Hedland WA, was the world's largest producer of tantalum (in tantalum concentrates) in 2008, producing almost half of the world's mine output. However, tantalum production from these mines was suspended in December 2008 (refer 'Industry Developments').

In WA, granitic rare-metal pegmatites are the dominant host rock for primary tantalum mineralisation. The only exceptions are the carbonatite type at Mount Weld deposit in the eastern goldfields, WA, and an unusual form of subalkaline granite-syenite mineralisation at the Brockman deposit, south east of Halls Creek, WA.

Australia's Economic Demonstrated Resources (EDR) are estimated to be 51 kilotonne (kt) of tantalum in 2008, 21% increase on 2007. All tantalum EDR is accessible for mining. Approximately 37% of EDR comprises JORC Ore Reserves as reported by industry. Subeconomic Demonstrated Resources account for about 24% of total Demonstrated Resources. The Paramarginal and Submarginal Resources amount to 15 kt and 0.3 kt, respectively. Inferred Resources are estimated to be 80 kt. WA is the largest holder of tantalum with 88% of total Demonstrated Resources while New South Wales (NSW) accounts for 12%.

Data relating to exploration for tantalum are not available.

In 2008, production of tantalum was estimated to be 680 tonne an increase of about 26% over 2007. All production was from the Wodgina mine where the ore is crushed at a primary plant before being transported to Greenbushes mine for secondary processing and upgrading to a final product.

Based on estimates published by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the world total resources amount to 130 kt of tantalum in 2008. The world's largest tantalum resource holder is Brazil with an estimated 88 kt, followed by Australia with 51 kt.

World production of tantalum in 2008 was estimated by Geoscience Australia (using WA Department of Mines and Petroleum and USGS data) to be 1058 tonne, an increase of about 15% on 2007. Production in 2008 was dominated by Australia, with 680 tonne, which amounted to about 64% of world output, although this figure is not complete for 2008. According to the USGS, other main producers were Brazil with 180 tonne, followed by Ethiopia (77 tonne), Canada (45 tonne), and Rwanda (42 tonne).

In December 2008 Talison Minerals suspended mining at Wodgina WA, the world's largest tantalum producer, because of a fall in demand for tantalum metal and an increase in the supply of tantalum from Central Africa, mainly the Democratic Republic of Congo where it was produced by indigenous people using artisan type mining methods, some of which were illegal operations.

Talison Minerals' Greenbushes operations consist of an open pit, underground mine, primary and secondary tantalum processing plants, tin smelter and a lithium plant. Greenbushes open pit mining operations continued during the year and the secondary processing plant processed primary tantalum concentrates from Wodgina mine. The primary tantalum plant at Greenbushes remained under care and maintenance.

In April 2008 Alkane Resources Ltd commissioned a demonstration pilot plant at ANSTO Minerals at Lucas Heights in Sydney NSW. The plant is producing several tonnes of zirconia concentrate, niobium-tantalum concentrate, and yttrium-rare-earth concentrate from the company's Dubbo Zirconia Project in NSW to be shipped to potential customers during 2009.