The Effect of Temperature on the Purity of Nano-Scale Tantalum Powder Produced from Its Scrap by Reaction with Magnesium and Calcium

Abstract

In this study, Ta powder was produced from Ta scarp via chemical processes using Mg and Ca powders. Initially, tantalum scraps were converted to tantalum oxide (Ta2O5) at 1100 ̊C in an oxygen atmosphere. Tantalum oxide was then reduced to Tantalum powder with Mg in a vacuum environment at 950 to 1200 ̊C for 3 hours. The obtained Ta powders further were reacted with Ca at 950 ̊C for 5 hours in a vacuum atmosphere. The powders were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), as well as conducting oxygen content measurement. The results showed that the average particle size of the produced Ta powders was around 58 nm with oxygen contents of 250 ppm.