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Tantalum Niobium Comparison


Niobium Tantalum comparison


Periodic Table

Symbol
Ta   
Nb   

Group Number
5   
13
5   
13

Period Number
6   
5   

Block
d block   
d block   

Element Family
Transition Metal   
Transition Metal   

CAS Number
7440257   
99+
7440031   
99+

Space Group Name
Im_ 3m   
Im_ 3m   

Space Group Number
229.00   
1
229.00   
1

Facts

Interesting Facts
  • Tantalum metal is known as corrosion resistance.
  • Tantalum metal can easily fabricated and It is a good conductor of heat and electricity.
  
  • Niobium metal was used to get called Columbium in past.
  • Niobium metal found freely in nature (abundance).
  

Sources
Found in Minerals, Mining, Ores of Minerals   
By-product of Tin Extraction, Found in Minerals, Mining, Ores of Minerals   

History
  
  

Who Discovered
Anders Gustaf Ekeberg   
Charles Hatchett   

Discovery
In 1802   
In 1801   

Abundance
  
  

Abundance In Universe
8 * 10-9 %   
31
2 * 10-7 %   
22

Abundance In Sun
~-9999 %   
~0.0000004 %   
23

Abundance In Meteorites
0.00 %   
99+
0.00 %   
35

Abundance In Earth's Crust
0.00 %   
37
0.00 %   
25

Abundance In Oceans
0.00 %   
31
0.00 %   
34

Uses

Uses & Benefits
  • Tantalum metal is mainly used in the manufacturing of electron components. Its Oxide layer acts as an insulator.
  • Tantalum metal is also used in surgical transplant like replacement of bone, skull plates and as a woven gauze.
  
  • Niobium alloys are used in jet engines and rockets and spacecraft, beams and girders for buildings and oil and gas pipelines.
  • It is used superconducting magnets in particles accelerators, NMR and MRI equipment.
  

Industrial Uses
Electrical Industry, Electronic Industry   
Aerospace Industry, Ammunition Industry, Electrical Industry, Electronic Industry   

Medical Uses
NA   
NA   

Other Uses
Alloys   
Alloys   

Biological Properties
  
  

Toxicity
Low Toxic   
Low Toxic   

Present in Human Body
Yes   
Yes   

In Blood
Not Available   
0.01 Blood/mg dm-3   
25

In Bone
0.03 p.p.m.   
28
0.07 p.p.m.   
25

Physical Properties

Melting Point
2,996.00 °C   
4
2,468.00 °C   
6

Boiling Point
5,425.00 °C   
4
2,468.00 °C   
99+

Appearance
  
  

Physical State
Solid   
Solid   

Color
Gray Blue   
Gray   

Luster
Metallic   
Metallic   

Hardness
  
  

Mohs Hardness
6.50   
5
6.00   
6

Brinell Hardness
440.00 MPa   
28
735.00 MPa   
14

Vickers Hardness
870.00 MPa   
12
870.00 MPa   
12

Speed of Sound
3,400.00 m/s   
22
3,480.00 m/s   
21

Optical Properties
  
  

Reflectivity
78.00 %   
6
Not Available   

Allotropes
No   
No   

α Allotropes
Not Available   
Not Available   

β Allotropes
Not Available   
Not Available   

γ Allotropes
Not Available   
Not Available   

Chemical Properties

Chemical Formula
Ta   
Nb   

Isotopes
  
  

Known Isotopes
31   
8
17   
22

Electronegativity
  
  

Pauling Electronegativity
1.50   
27
1.60   
23

Sanderson Electronegativity
Not Available   
1.42   
16

Allred Rochow Electronegativity
1.33   
22
1.23   
25

Allen Electronegativity
1.34   
33
1.41   
31

Electropositivity
  
  

Pauling Electropositivity
2.50   
27
2.40   
31

Ionization Energies
  
  

1st Energy Level
761.00 kJ/mol   
18
652.10 kJ/mol   
99+

2nd Energy Level
1,500.00 kJ/mol   
40
1,380.00 kJ/mol   
99+

3rd Energy Level
Not Available   
2,416.00 kJ/mol   
99+

4th Energy Level
Not Available   
3,700.00 kJ/mol   
99+

5th Energy Level
Not Available   
4,877.00 kJ/mol   
36

6th Energy Level
Not Available   
9,847.00 kJ/mol   
11

7th Energy level
Not Available   
12,100.00 kJ/mol   
14

Electrochemical Equivalent
1.35 g/amp-hr   
99+
0.69 g/amp-hr   
99+

Electron Work Function
4.25 eV   
21
4.30 eV   
18

Other Chemical Properties
Anti Corrosion, Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Radioactivity, Solubility   
Anti Corrosion, Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Solubility   

Atomic Properties

Atomic Number
73   
99+
41   
99+

Electron Configuration
[Xe] 4f14 5d3 6s2   
[Kr] 4d4 5s1   

Crystal Structure
Body Centered Cubic (BCC)   
Body Centered Cubic (BCC)   

Crystal Lattice
BCC-Crystal-Structure-.jpg#100   
BCC-Crystal-Structure-.jpg#100   

Atom
  
  

Number of Protons
73   
99+
41   
99+

Number of Neutrons
108   
28
52   
99+

Number of Electrons
73   
99+
41   
99+

Radius of an Atom
  
  

Atomic Radius
146.00 pm   
35
146.00 pm   
35

Covalent Radius
170.00 pm   
25
164.00 pm   
28

Van der Waals Radius
200.00 pm   
28
200.00 pm   
28

Atomic Weight
180.95 amu   
38
92.91 amu   
99+

Atomic Volume
10.90 cm3/mol   
99+
10.87 cm3/mol   
99+

Adjacent Atomic Numbers
  
  

Previous Element
Hafnium
  
Zirconium
  

Next Element
Tungsten
  
Molybdenum
  

Valence Electron Potential
110.00 (-eV)   
7
104.00 (-eV)   
8

Lattice Constant
330.13 pm   
99+
330.04 pm   
99+

Lattice Angles
π/2, π/2, π/2   
π/2, π/2, π/2   

Lattice C/A Ratio
Not Available   
Not Available   

Mechanical Properties

Density
  
  

Density At Room Temperature
16.69 g/cm3   
18
8.57 g/cm3   
99+

Density When Liquid (at m.p.)
15.00 g/cm3   
9
Not Available   

Tensile Strength
Not Available   
330.00 MPa   
12

Viscosity
Not Available   
Not Available   

Vapor Pressure
  
  

Vapor Pressure at 2000 K
0.00 (Pa)   
31
0.00 (Pa)   
27

Elasticity properties
  
  

Shear Modulus
69.00 GPa   
13
38.00 GPa   
19

Bulk Modulus
200.00 GPa   
8
170.00 GPa   
10

Young's Modulus
186.00 GPa   
13
105.00 GPa   
20

Poisson Ratio
0.34   
10
0.40   
4

Other Mechanical Properties
Ductile   
Ductile, Malleable   

Magnetic Properties

Magnetic Characteristics
  
  

Specific Gravity
16.65   
11
8.57   
37

Magnetic Ordering
Paramagnetic   
Paramagnetic   

Electrical Properties
  
  

Electrical Property
Conductor   
Conductor   

Resistivity
131.00 nΩ·m   
25
152.00 nΩ·m   
23

Electrical Conductivity
0.08 106/cm Ω   
27
0.07 106/cm Ω   
28

Electron Affinity
31.00 kJ/mol   
29
86.10 kJ/mol   
12

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat
0.14 J/(kg K)   
37
0.26 J/(kg K)   
20

Molar Heat Capacity
25.36 J/mol·K   
99+
24.60 J/mol·K   
99+

Thermal Conductivity
57.50 W/m·K   
27
53.70 W/m·K   
29

Critical Temperature
Not Available   
Not Available   

Thermal Expansion
6.30 µm/(m·K)   
99+
7.30 µm/(m·K)   
99+

Enthalpy
  
  

Enthalpy of Vaporization
753.10 kJ/mol   
2
696.60 kJ/mol   
4

Enthalpy of Fusion
31.40 kJ/mol   
3
27.20 kJ/mol   
6

Enthalpy of Atomization
782.00 kJ/mol   
3
745.00 kJ/mol   
4

Standard Molar Entropy
41.50 J/mol.K   
37
36.40 J/mol.K   
99+

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