Ko te Tantalum he huānga matū me te tohu Ta me te nama ngota 73. I mohiotia i mua ko te tantalium, i ahu mai tona ingoa i a Tantalus, he tangata kino mai i nga korero pakiwaitara Kariki. Ko te Tantalum he whakarewa onge, he pakeke, he puru-hina, he whakarewa whiti te kanapa e tino atete ki te waikura. He wahanga o te roopu konganuku whakaahuru, e whakamahia whanuitia ana hei waahanga iti i roto i nga koranu. Ko te koretake matū o te tantalum ka waiho hei taonga utu nui mo nga taputapu taiwhanga me te whakakapi mo te konukawata. Ko tana whakamahinga nui i enei ra ko nga punga tantalum i roto i nga taputapu hiko penei i nga waea pukoro, nga kaitoro DVD, nga punaha keemu ataata me nga rorohiko. Ko te Tantalum, me te niobium rite matū, ka puta i roto i nga roopu kohuke tantalite, columbite me te coltan (he ranunga o te columbite me te tantalite, ahakoa kaore i te mohiotia he momo kohuke motuhake). Ko te Tantalum e kiia ana he huānga whakahirahira hangarau.

Ngā āhuatanga ā-tinana
Ko te Tantalum he pouri (puru-hina), he matotoru, he ngongo, he tino uaua, he ngawari te hanga, he kaha te kawe i te wera me te hiko. He rongonui te konganuku mo tona atete ki te waikura e te waikawa; Inaa, i te mahana i raro iho i te 150 °C ka tata te tantalum ki te kore e whakaekea e te aqua regia e tino pukuriri ana. Ka taea te rewa ki te waikawa waiwaro, wairewa waikawa ranei kei roto te katote fluoride me te whanariki trioxide, me te otinga o te konupora waihā. Ko te rewa teitei o Tantalum o 3017 °C (kohuatanga 5458 °C) kua nui ake i roto i nga huānga na te tungsten, te rhenium me te osmium mo nga konganuku, me te waro.

Ko te Tantalum e rua nga wahanga tioata, he alpha me te beta. Ko te wahanga alpha he ahua ngohe me te ngawari; he hanganga pūtoru-a-tinana (roopu mokowhiti Im3m, kurupae tonu a = 0.33058 nm), Knoop pakeke 200–400 HN me te parenga hiko 15–60 µΩ⋅cm. He pakeke, he pakarukaru te wahanga beta; ko tona hangarite karaihe he tetragonal (roopu mokowā P42/mnm, a = 1.0194 nm, c = 0.5313 nm), Ko te pakeke Knoop he 1000–1300 HN me te kaha o te parenga hiko i te 170–210 µΩ⋅cm. He metastable te wahanga beta ka huri ki te wahanga alpha ina whakamahana ki te 750–775 °C. Ko te nuinga o te tantalum he wahanga alpha katoa, a ko te wahanga beta he kiriata angiangi ka riro mai i te pupuhi o te magnetron, te waipara matū matū, te waipara hiko ranei mai i te wairewa tote rewa eutectic.