Treasure trove of most rare metal on Earth was uncovered beneath an ancient river in India
A treasure trove of the most rare metal on Earth has been uncovered beneath an ancient river in India.
The major breakthrough could completely change the future of the tech industry forever.
This is after a research team from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar, Punjab, found the material tantalum in the Sutlej River in India.
This discovery is particularly important because tantalum is often used for the production of electronics and semiconductors.
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Speaking to the Indian Express, Dr Reshmi Sebastian, who led the team of researchers, said: “One of my research students found the presence of tantalum while conducting experiments on the characterisation of the Sutlej river sand.”
At the time, the team were working on an unrelated project which included analyzing the dynamic properties of the rocks and soil, and how it bears an earthquake.
However, they were in for a surprise discovery of the most rare metal in the world.
Abhijeet Kaplish, who is the Punjab Mining and Geology Department Director, said: “The discovery of tantalum in Sutlej is not only significant for Punjab but also for India, given its value in terms of its use in electronics and semiconductors.
“We are curious to know the quantum of the metal in the river. Detailed studies are likely to shed more light on that.”
What actually is tantalum?
The rare metal is grey in color and heavy to hold, and is known as being one of the metals that is most resistant to corrosion.
When in its pure form, it can be stretched out into a thin wire without breaking.
The metal was initially discovered by Swedish scientist Anders Gustaf Ekenberg back in 1802.
While it was first thought that the metal was a form of Niobium, it was until 1866 that Swiss chemist Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac determined that these were two separate elements.
Tantalum was named after Tantalus, a figure from Greek mythology who was known for being very wealthy.
What is the use of tantalum?
The metal has the ability to store large amounts of electricity without too much leaking which makes it perfect for the production of portable devices such as laptops, cameras and smartphones.
It is also used for converters in vehicles and can be a cheap alternative to platinum for jewelry.
Other uses of tantalum include being used in various defense products such as missiles, fighter jets, nuclear power plants and chemical plants.