Tantalum, metal and tantalum oxide, dust

Synonyms

Tantalum metal; Tantalum-181; Tantalum compounds; [NIOSH] Tantalic acid anhydride; Tantalum penta oxide; Tantalum pentoxide; [ChemIDplus]

Category

Metals, Inorganic Compounds

Description

Metal: Steel-blue to gray solid or black, odorless powder; [NIOSH] A rare, lustrous, transition metal; [Wikipedia]

Sources/Uses

Rare element in earth's crust, about 0.003% for tantalum and niobium together; Obtained from the minerals columbite, tantalite, and microlite; Used to make capacitors, rectifiers, chemical-resistant and heat-resistant equipment, high-speed tools, dental and surgical implants, pen points, and parts for furnaces, aircraft, and nuclear reactors; [HSDB]

Comments

"A 10 yr study of tantalum gauze use in the repair of hernias revealed no effects from the gauze itself." Chemical workers and welders exposed to tantalum and niobium dust for 3-24 years at concentrations up to 120 mg/m3 had radiological evidence of pulmonary fibrosis. [HSDB]

Biomedical References

Insufficient data

5 mg/m3, as Ta

4 mg/m3, inhalable fraction(metal)

2500 mg/m3, as Ta

Excerpts from Documentation for IDLHs

Basis for revised IDLH: No inhalation toxicity data are available on which to base an IDLH for tantalum metal and oxide dust.

Explanatory Notes

TLV withdrawn in 2010 due to insufficient data; [ACGIH]

Processes

Industrial Processes with risk of exposure:

• Mining