Application and classification of tantalum and tantalum alloys

Tantalum and tantalum alloys have high density, high melting point, high impact impedance, high mechanical properties at high temperature, and high mechanical strength even at 1000℃ to 2000℃. Stable physical and chemical properties, excellent room temperature tensile properties, good thermal conductivity and fracture toughness, its corrosion resistance is similar to glass, can be used in other metals can not bear the environment, no radioactivity. As a kind of high temperature structural material, it is widely used in the fields of advanced science and technology such as aviation, aerospace, electronics, chemical industry, weapons and nuclear power system. In recent years, although the pace of research on tantalum and its alloys has slowed down slightly compared with the arms race between the two superpowers in the 1960s and 1970s, great progress has still been made in the fields of electronics, chemical industry, superalloy and sophisticated weapons.

Classification of tantalum and tantalum alloys

Industrial pure tantalum has low strength, about half that of carbon steel, and poor oxidation resistance at high temperature in the air, so its engineering use is limited. The addition of alloying elements can significantly strengthen tantalum and enhance its antioxidant capacity. Engineering application is mainly tantalum alloy.

Tantalum and its alloys are generally classified into three categories according to their alloy composition:

Tungsten tantalum alloy, such as Ta-2.5W, Ta-10W, the earliest application of aerospace and sophisticated weapons materials, used in spacecraft combustion chamber and missile nozzles, etc.

Tantalum tungsten alloy, such as T-111, T-222, etc. Originally designed for aerospace materials with strength at high temperatures, the T-111 was later found to be widely used in high-temperature structural materials; The T-222 has higher instantaneous high temperature strength and better creep performance than the T-111.

Tantalum and niobium alloys, such as Ta-40Nb, etc.

According to the use, it can be divided into high temperature tantalum alloy and corrosion resistant tantalum alloy.

The standards related to tantalum and tantalum alloy products mainly include GB/T8182 《Tantalum and tantalum alloy seamless tubes》, GB/T14841 《Tantalum and tantalum alloy bar》 and GB/T 3629 《Tantalum and tantalum alloy sheet, strip and foil》. The non-ferrous metal industry standard YS/T751 specifies the brand name and chemical composition of tantalum and tantalum alloy products.