Tantalum | |
| Formula | Ta |
| Structure | |
| Description | Gray metal. Odorless. |
| Uses | In rectifiers, esp for railway signals, in electrolysis capacitors, in manufacture of radio & power tubes. |
| Registry Numbers and Inventories. | |
| CAS | 7440-25-7 |
| EC (EINECS/ELINCS) | 231-135-5 |
| RTECS | WW5505000 |
| RTECS class | Tumorigen |
| UN (DOT) | 3089 |
| Merck | 12,9223 |
| Beilstein/Gmelin | 16312 (G) |
| Swiss Giftliste 1 | G-4652 |
| Canada DSL/NDSL | DSL |
| US TSCA | Listed |
| Austrailia AICS | Listed |
| New Zealand | Listed |
| Korea ECL | Listed |
| Properties. | |
| Formula | Ta |
| Formula mass | 180.94 |
| Melting point, °C | 2996 |
| Boiling point, °C | 5427 |
| Density | 16.69 g/cm3 (20 C) |
| Solubility in water | Insoluble |
| Thermal expansion | 6.55E-06/K |
| Heat of fusion | 33.7 kJ/mol |
| Hazards and Protection. | |
| Storage | Keep in a cool, dry, dark location in a tightly sealed container or cylinder. Keep away from incompatible materials, ignition sources and untrained individuals. Secure and label area. Protect containers/cylinders from physical damage. |
| Handling | All chemicals should be considered hazardous. Avoid direct physical contact. Use appropriate, approved safety equipment. Untrained individuals should not handle this chemical or its container. Handling should occur in a chemical fume hood. |
| Protection | Wear appropriate protective gloves, clothing and goggles. |
| Respirators | Wear positive pressure self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). |
| Small spills/leaks | ELIMINATE all ignition sources. Do not touch or walk through spilled material. Stop leak if you can do it without risk. |
| Stability | Powder ignites SPONTANEOUSLY in air. |
| Incompatibilities | Keep away from strong oxidizers, bromine tri fluoride and fluorine. |
| Fire. | ||||
| Fire fighting | DO NOT USE WATER, FOAM OR carbon dioxide. Dousing metallic fires with water may generate hydrogen gas, an extremely dangerous explosion hazard, particularly if fire is in a confined environment. Use DRY sand, graphite powder, dry sodium chloride based extinguishers, G-1 or Met-L-X powder. Confining and smothering metal fires is preferable rather than applying water. | |||
| Hazards | Oxides from metallic fires are a severe health hazard. Fire may produce irritating, corrosive and/or toxic gases. | |||
| Health. | |
| Exposure limit(s) | NIOSH REL: TWA 5 mg/m3 ST 10 mg/m3 OSHA PEL: TWA 5 mg/m3 IDLH 2500 mg/m3 (as Ta) |
| Poison_Class | - |
| Exposure effects | |
| Ingestion | See Inhalation. |
| Inhalation | Substance or decomposition products may cause severe injury or death. |
| Skin | See Inhalation. |
| Eyes | See Inhalation. |
First aid |
|
| Ingestion | The possible benefit of early removal of some ingested material by cautious gastric lavage must be weighed against potential complications of bleeding or perforation. Activated charcoal activated charcoal binds most toxic agents and can decrease their systemic absorption if administered soon after ingestion. Activated charcoal: administer charcoal as a slurry (240 ml water/30 g charcoal). Usual dose: 25 to 100 g in adults/adolescents. |
| Inhalation | Move patient to fresh air. Monitor for respiratory distress. If cough or difficulty breathing develops, evaluate for respiratory tract irritation, bronchitis, or pneumonitis. Administer oxygen and assist ventilation as required. Treat bronchospasm with beta2 agonist and corticosteroid aerosols. |
| Skin | Remove and isolate contaminated clothing and shoes. Immediately flush with running water for at least 20 minutes. |
| Eyes | Irrigate exposed eyes with copious amounts of tepid water for at least 15 minutes. If irritation, pain, swelling, lacrimation, or photophobia persist, the patient should be seen in a health care facility. |
| Transport. | ||
| UN number | 3089 | |
| Response guide | 170 | |
| Hazard class | 4.1 | |
| Packing Group | II; III | |