释义 |
tantalum Chem.|ˈtæntələm| Also tantalium. [f. Tantal-us, with the ending -um (more usually -ium), appropriate to metallic elements: cf. aluminum and aluminium; see quot. 1802.] One of the rare metals, occurring in combination in various rare minerals, and in certain metallic ores; discovered in 1802 by Ekeberg in two minerals, one from Finland and the other from Sweden, which he named tantalite and yttrotantalite. It has been isolated as a solid greyish-white colour and metallic lustre, and has been used for the incandescent filament in electric lamps. Atomic weight 182; symbol Ta. Also attrib., as tantalum lamp, etc.[Cf.1802Ekeberg in Kongl. Vetenskaps Acad. Handl. XXIII. 80 (tr.) This new recruit among the metals I call Tantalum, partly following the custom which favours names from Mythology, partly in allusion to its incapacity, when immersed in acid, to absorb any and be saturated.] 1809Wollaston in Phil. Trans. XCIX. 246 The Swedish metal has retained the name of Tantalum given to it by M. Ekeberg. 1810Henry Elem. Chem. (1826) II. 69 The oxide of tantalum, ignited with charcoal, melts and agglutinates. 1906Price Sheet, Siemens Tantalum Lamps for continuous current... The Tantalum Lamp differs from the ordinary glow lamp in having a filament of the rare metal Tantalum instead of carbon. 1907Outlook 23 Mar. 378/1 Tantalum..is so hard and brittle that no ordinary metallurgical process was able to turn it into wire. |