Engineering360: "Creating a Metal as Strong as Captain America’s Shield"

Tantalum is the rarest metal on Earth and listed as a conflict resource, can't see this going anywhere really.

Tantalum is not the rarest metal on Earth. Not even close. The list of metals more rare than tantalum on Earth include: francium, ruthenium, rhodium, iridium, osmium, rhenium, platinum, paladium, gold, silver, indium, mercury, and tungsten. That isn't even including the strictly man made elements.

Apparently it has already been to the places you never thought it could go.

I do stand corrected (mixed up Tantalum and Palladium actually). Apologies.

It still is a conflict mineral, though.

The ability to graciously accept criticism is a laudable trait. Kudos.

In your most recent reply, you are almost correct. Tantalite/columbite the ore from which tantalum is refined is considered a conflict mineral. Tantalum itself does not occur naturally in sufficient quantities as the metal to be mined AFAIK. A mineral must be naturally occurring and since tantalum itself is not being mined to fund conflict, neither side of that lable applies.

If you are concerned about your own contribution to conflicts related to tantalum demand, you may find these two facts worth mulling over:

1. Around 1% of global annual tantalum supply comes from ore in areas where it could be involved as a conflict resource.

2. Claiming tantalum use is widespread is an understatement. Use of tantatum capacitors in anything that might be considered hugh tech is close to ubiquitous. It would be difficult for you to make comments on this blog about eschewing the use of tantalum as a vonflict resource without involving equipement several times that relies on components that as manufactured with tantalum.

* Use of tantatum capacitors in anything that might be considered high tech is close to ubiquitous. It would be difficult for you to make comments on this blog about eschewing the use of tantalum as a conflict resource without involving equipement several times that relies on components that are manufactured with tantalum.

I never understood why the NSA allows American companies to publicize research for new technologies, especially those intended for military applications -- Isn't this up there on the list with other national security issues? Just curious.

Interesting thought

Ever heard of disinformation?