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181Ta

181Ta is the only stable isotope of the element tantalum (chemical symbol Ta) and has mass number 181 with atomic number 73. It represents the vast majority of naturally occurring tantalum, while a very small fraction of tantalum in nature exists as the neighbouring isomer 180mTa. The natural isotopic abundance of 181Ta is about 99.988%, with the remainder associated with 180mTa, a long-lived metastable state that is present at extremely low levels.

Nuclear and physical properties can be summarized by noting that 181Ta is stable and does not undergo

Occurrence and production: 181Ta occurs naturally in tantalum minerals such as tantalite and columbite-tantalite. In nature,

Applications and significance: Tantalum, with 181Ta as its main isotope, is widely used in electronics for capacitors

See also: 180mTa, tantalum.

radioactive
decay
under
normal
conditions.
Its
atomic
mass
is
approximately
180.94788
atomic
mass
units.
As
a
heavy,
refractory
metal,
tantalum
has
a
high
melting
point
and
excellent
corrosion
resistance,
properties
that
are
inherited
from
its
predominant
isotope
as
well
as
the
element’s
overall
chemistry.
nearly
all
tantalum
is
in
the
form
of
181Ta,
which
is
extracted
and
refined
to
produce
high-purity
tantalum
metal
used
in
various
applications.
The
trace
presence
of
180mTa
isomers
is
of
interest
primarily
in
specialized
research
contexts
due
to
their
unusual
long-lived
nature.
and
high-temperature
components
because
of
its
ductility,
corrosion
resistance,
and
stable
atomic
structure.
The
isotopic
composition
of
tantalum
is
also
relevant
in
certain
scientific
and
industrial
measurements,
including
activation
analysis
and
materials
science
studies.