# Tantalum



## jimdoc (May 27, 2007)

Does anybody do anything with tantalum other than just collecting it?
I am curious as to if it is worth messing with, as I have seen that there are some hazards, as in this link;
http://www.cdc.gov/Niosh/FACE/stateface/nj/02nj003.html


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## Fever (May 27, 2007)

Tantalum teardrops are definitely worth saving, as are the tantalum capacitors that are pictured in the article you attached. I made a small thingy to "charcoal" the epoxy dip coating so that the tantalum metal could be seperated for later sale. I put this thing in my woodstove, after I have a nice cherry bed of coals, and leave it in for about 30 minutes. I then take it out and let it cool overnight. The next day, I take a hammer and gently tap on the charred epoxy shell, which crumbles and reveals the cleaned, intact Tantalum slug underneath. Make sure to drill a hole in one end of the pipe cap to allow for venting. IF YOU DON'T DO THIS YOU WILL CREATE A PIPE BOMB!

This is just a threaded nipple and two pipe caps, and it works great. Be careful not to make too much dust when crushing the charred epoxy. It's a good adea to wet them first, crush the coating, and wash the slugs. Tantalum ore in its natural compounds can be toxic, but I'm pretty sure refined Tantalum metal is quite safe. Wash your hands as usual and take all safety precautions.

Fever


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