Definition

Noun: A dense, black to brownish-black mineral that is an important source of the element tantalum. It is an oxide mineral composed primarily of iron, manganese, and tantalum, often found in association with niobite (columbite) in coarse-grained granite pegmatites.

Examples of Usage

• Geologists identified the dark, heavy crystals as tantalite.
• The primary source of tantalum for capacitors is the mineral tantalite.
• This specimen contains tantalite intergrown with niobite.

Advanced Usage

• Tantalite series: Refers to the solid solution series between tantalite (FeTa₂O₆) and columbite (FeNb₂O₆). The specific name (e.g., ferrotantalite, manganotantalite) depends on the relative amounts of iron/manganese and tantalum/niobium.
• "Tantalite-columbite" or "coltan": In the mining industry, the mixed mineral containing both tantalite and columbite is often referred to as coltan, which is a critical industrial ore.

Variants and Related Words

• Columbite (noun): The niobium-dominant endmember of the series, often found mixed with tantalite.
• Coltan (noun): A colloquial/mining term for a black mineral mixture (columbite–tantalite) that is a major ore source for both niobium and tantalum.
• Tantalum (noun): The chemical element (Ta) extracted from tantalite, known for its high corrosion resistance and use in electronics.

Synonyms

• Ore of tantalum (descriptive synonym)
• (In context with niobium) Columbite-tantalite

Notes on Meaning

The term tantalite specifically denotes the tantalum-rich mineral. Its economic and technological importance is due entirely to its tantalum content, which is essential for manufacturing miniature capacitors in virtually all modern electronic devices.

Noun

1. a mineral consisting of tantalum oxide of iron and manganese that occurs with niobite or in coarse granite; an ore of tantalum