Papers - Nonferrous Metallurgy - Extraction of Tantalum and Columbium from Their Ores

Tantalum and columbium occur together in tantalite and columbite ores, which may be considered as ferrotantalate (FeTaz06), with part of the iron and tantalum replaced by manganese and columbium respectively, the general formula, therefore,becoming (Pe, Mn)O.(Ta, Cb)2Os. The ratio of tantalum to columbium is not fixed; the amount of tantalum may vary from one-third to three times that of columbium. Minerals having a high content of tantalum are called tantalite, while those possessing larger amounts of columbium are classified as columbite ores. These minerals are found in pegmatites and often occur in veins associated with cassiterite and wolframite, and may contain small amounts of tin, tungsten, titanium and si1ica. l Methods of Extraction Several methods have been proposed for the extraction of tantalum and columbium from their ores, among them being: 1. Fusion with Potassium or Sodium Bisu1fate.—The finely ground ore is fused with potassium bisulfate, after which the mass is boiled with water and the fusion repeated several times. The residue finally resulting is digested with ammonium sulfide to remove traces of tin and tungsten, boiled with hydrochloric acid, filtered and washed. These oxides are then dissolved in hydrofluoric acid, the silica evolved as silicon tetra-fluoride and the hydrofluoric acid solution used for the potassium double fluoride separation of tantalum. 2. Fusion with Sodium Carbonate and Sodium Nitrate.2—This fusion renders the tantalum and columbium soluble, and they are extracted