Big Picture on CDNX Small Caps
Tantalum Lights Up Junior Miners
By Craig Stanley (cstanley@stockhouse.com)
Thursday, May 3
Most investors may of never heard of tantalum, but the rare metal is found in a number of consumer electronics products and high-tech applications. Price increases last year, fed by soaring demand, has lead a number of CDNX-listed junior miners to hunt for the elusive element. Though still in the early stages of exploration, these companies are hoping to cash in by finding Canada's next tantalum mine.
Although it is considered a rare metal, tantalum can be found in a variety of high-tech products such as video game consoles, pagers, mobile phones, personal computers and automotive electronics. The element's main use is in the production of capacitors, devices that regulate electrical current. This market accounts for approximately 60% of demand.
But tantalum's other unique chemical properties, including high melting point, malleability and resistance to corrosion by acids, lends it to other applications. Alloyed with other metals, tantalum is used in the production of jet engine components and in making carbide tools for metalworking equipment. It's also found in medical prostheses. |
