If you are looking for high-quality products, please feel free to contact us and send an inquiry, email: brad@ihpa.net
Tantalum is a rare transition metal that is extremely hard and has a blue-gray visual appearance. It is similar in chemical makeup to niobium, which it shares many of the same properties with, including a resistance to corrosion. The primary source of tantalum is the Democratic Republic of Congo in central Africa, although it can also be found in Australia, Brazil, and China.
Due to its high melting point and extreme corrosion resistance, tantalum is often used to replace other metals in applications that would otherwise be prone to failure. For example, machined fasteners made of tantalum replace those made of alternative materials that could corrode or fail over time and lead to costly equipment shutdowns for maintenance. Similarly, the oxidation resistance of tantalum bars makes them ideal for forming parts that require long-term exposure to harsh chemical environments.
Kencotube is an acclaimed manufacturer of tantalum rods and is capable of supplying them in a wide range of specifications. Our range of tantalum bars is widely known for its ability to resist attack by acids like aqua regia, which can even corrode gold and platinum. This unique combination of characteristics, along with the material’s excellent density, make our tantalum bars an excellent choice for a wide range of industrial, medical and aerospace applications.
To gain a better understanding of the mechanical behavior of tantalum, we conducted in situ stress deformation experiments on a cold-rolled, high purity tantalum sheet. These tensile tests were interrupted before complete fracture, allowing the resulting necked region to be characterized in detail. The macroscopic fracture surface showed no shear lips and a cup-and-cone morphology, instead displaying a series of elongated ridges and valleys.