Coltan (short for columbite–tantalite and known industrially as tantalite) is a dull black metallic ore from which the elements niobium and tantalum are extracted.

Aug 22, 2024 · Coltan is essential to our lives. Explore what coltan is, what it's used for, where and how it’s mined and why it’s a conflict mineral.

Coltan is short for columbite-tantalite, a dull metallic ore. When refined, coltan becomes a heat resistant powder, metallic tantalum, which has unique properties for storing electrical charge. Coltan occurs in …

Sep 7, 2025 · Coltan is prized for its high concentrations of tantalum, a mineral critical to the electronics and aerospace industries. It’s essential in the production of capacitors used in devices that demand …

What is Coltan? Coltan is short for Columbite-tantalite - a black tar-like mineral found in major quantities in the Congo. The Congo possesses 64 percent of the world's reserves of coltan. When coltan is …

Mar 25, 2025 · What is coltan, and why is it a “strategic” mineral? The term “coltan” was coined by Congolese miners to refer to columbite-tantalite, which consists of two minerals: columbite, …

Dec 23, 2025 · Coltan is the name for the composite mineral niobium-tantalite; a dark black metal mineral containing tantalum and niobium. Coltan is a basic component of a range of electronic …

Coltan, short for (Columbite-Tantalite), is a dull metallic ore used in many different industries, mainly for its high content of Tantalite: the main component in the production of Tantalum.

Aug 22, 2024 · As demand for coltan and the metals inside it grows, understanding its value in the global supply chain and our daily lives is important. Here are five coltan facts you should know.

Mar 14, 2012 · A black market for coltan — a strategically important mineral used in an array of electronic devices — has emerged in the Amazon jungles that cover the border area between …