n.
Metallic chemical element , one of the transition element s, chemical symbol Ta, atomic number 73.
It is a dense, hard, unreactive, silvery gray metal with an extremely high melting point (5,425 °F [2,996 °C]). Relatively rare, it occurs native in a few places. It is difficult to separate from niobium, the element above it in the periodic table , with which it shares many properties. The most important uses are in electrolytic capacitors, corrosion-resistant chemical equipment, dental and surgical instruments, tools, catalysts, components of electron tubes, rectifiers, and prostheses . Its compounds are relatively unimportant commercially; tantalum carbide is used in machine tools and dies.