Editing Tantalum (section)

===Other uses===
[[File:Tantalio.png|thumb|320x320px|[[Bi-metallic coin|Bimetallic]] coins minted by the Bank of [[Kazakhstan]] with silver ring and tantalum center. These two feature the [[Apollo–Soyuz]] and the [[International Space Station]]]]

Tantalum was used by [[NASA]] to shield components of spacecraft, such as ''[[Voyager 1]]'' and ''[[Voyager 2]]'', from radiation.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Bell|first=Jim|title=The Interstellar Age: the story of the NASA men and women who flew the forty-year Voyager mission|publisher=Dutton|year=2015|isbn=978-0-525-95432-3|location=New York|pages=110}}</ref> The high melting point and oxidation resistance led to the use of the metal in the production of [[vacuum furnace]] parts. Tantalum is extremely inert and is therefore formed into a variety of corrosion resistant parts, such as [[thermowell]]s, valve bodies, and tantalum fasteners. Due to its high density, [[shaped charge]] and [[explosively formed penetrator]] liners have been constructed from tantalum.<ref>{{cite journal|title = Microstructure of high-strain, high-strain-rate deformed tantalum|first = Sia|last = Nemat-Nasser|author2 = Isaacs, Jon B.|author3 = Liu, Mingqi|journal = Acta Materialia|volume = 46|page= 1307|date = 1998|doi = 10.1016/S1359-6454(97)00746-5|issue = 4|bibcode = 1998AcMat..46.1307N}}</ref> Tantalum greatly increases the armor penetration capabilities of a shaped charge due to its high density and high melting point.<ref>{{cite journal|doi = 10.1016/S0734-743X(01)00135-X|title = The penetration resistance of a titanium alloy against jets from tantalum shaped charge liners|date = 2001|last1 = Walters|first1 = William|author2 = Cooch, William|author3 = Burkins, Matthew|journal = International Journal of Impact Engineering|volume = 26|issue = 1–10|page= 823|last4 = Burkins|first4 = Matthew| bibcode=2001IJIE...26..823W | s2cid=92307431 |url = https://zenodo.org/record/1260077}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Russell |first1=Alan M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fIu58uZTE-gC&pg=PA129 |title=Structure-property relations in nonferrous metals |last2=Lee |first2=Kok Loong |date=2005 |publisher=Wiley-Interscience |isbn=978-0-471-64952-6 |location=Hoboken, New Jersey |page=218 |language=en-us}}</ref> <!--http://www.meyersgroup.ucsd.edu/papers/journals/Meyers 176.pdf LE Murr, S Pappu, C Kennedy, CS Niou, M Meyers – Tantalum, 1996 http://www.osti.gov/bridge/servlets/purl/274177-TGUy10/webviewable/274177.pdf--> It is also occasionally used in precious [[watch]]es e.g. from [[Audemars Piguet]], [[F. P. Journe]], [[Hublot]], [[Montblanc (pens)|Montblanc]], [[Omega SA|Omega]], and [[Panerai]]. Tantalum oxide is used to make special high [[refractive index]] [[glass]] for [[camera]] lenses.<ref>{{cite book|title = Optical Materials: An Introduction to Selection and Application|chapter = Optical Glass Composition|first = Solomon|last = Musikant|publisher = CRC Press|date = 1985|page = 28|isbn = 978-0-8247-7309-0|chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=iJEXMF3JBtQC&pg=PA28}}</ref> Spherical tantalum powder, produced by atomizing molten tantalum using gas or liquid, is commonly used in [[additive manufacturing]] due to its uniform shape, excellent [[flowability]], and high melting point.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.refractorymetal.org/spherical-tantalum-powder-for-3d-printing/ |title=Spherical Tantalum Powder for 3D Printing |website=Advanced Refractory Metals |date=30 May 2023 |access-date=Sep 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Li |first1=Qiqi |last2=Zhang |first2=Baicheng |last3=Wen |first3=Yaojie |year=2022 |title=A comprehensive study of tantalum powder preparation for additive manufacturing |journal=Spplied Surface Science |volume=593 |page=153357 |doi=10.1016/j.apsusc.2022.153357|bibcode=2022ApSS..59353357L }}</ref>