tantalite

[ tan-tl-ahyt ]

noun

1. a black, crystalline mineral, iron tantalate, (Fe, Mn) Ta 2 O 6 , the principal ore of tantalum and an end member of a series of solid solutions in which manganese and niobium combine to form columbite.

tantalite

/ ˈtæntəˌlaɪt /

noun

1. a heavy brownish mineral consisting of a tantalum oxide of iron and manganese in orthorhombic crystalline form: it occurs in coarse granite, often with columbite, and is an ore of tantalum. Formula: (Fe,Mn)(Ta,Nb) 2 O 6

Word History and Origins

Origin of tantalite¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; tantal(um) + -ite ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of tantalite¹

C19: from tantalum + -ite ¹

Example Sentences

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has abundant reserves of diamonds, gold, coltan, copper, tantalite, wolframite, manganese and uranium.

From US News

Apple wants to build more iPhones so someone has to mine more tantalite to make the tantalum to make the capacitors that go into them.

From Forbes

These elements occur in the minerals columbite and tantalite, and their compounds became known in the early part of the 19th century by the labours of C. Hatchett, A.G.

From Project Gutenberg

It is a constituent of certain rare minerals, such as tantalite.

From Project Gutenberg

They are probably present in the form of columbite, a niobate of iron and manganese; and tantalite, a tantalate of the same metals.

From Project Gutenberg