A heavy blue-grey metallic transition element; a.n. 73; r.a.m. 180.948; r.d. 16.63; m.p. 2996°C; b.p. 5427°C. It is found with niobium in the ore columbite-tantalite (Fe,Mn)(Ta,Nb)₂O₆. It is extracted by dissolving in hydrofluoric acid, separating the tantalum and niobium fluorides to give K₂TaF₇, and reduction of this with sodium. The element contains the stable isotope tantalum–181 and the long-lived radioactive isotope tantalum–180 (0.012%; half-life >10⁷ years). There are several other short-lived isotopes. The element is used in certain alloys and in electronic components. Tantalum parts are also used in surgery because of the unreactive nature of the metal (e.g. in pins to join bones). Chemically, the metal forms a passive oxide layer in air. It forms complexes in the +2, +3, +4, and +5 oxidation states. Tantalum was identified in 1802 by Anders Ekeberg (1767–1813) and first isolated in 1820 by Jöns Berzelius.

https://www.webelements.com/tantalum/ Information from the WebElements site