silvertantalum
Silvertantalum is a metallic alloy composed primarily of silver (Ag) and tantalum (Ta), typically in weight ratios ranging from 85 % silver to 15 % tantalum, though commercial grades can vary between 10 % and 30 % tantalum. The alloy inherits silver’s excellent electrical and thermal conductivity while gaining tantalum’s high melting point, corrosion resistance, and mechanical strength. The crystal lattice is usually face‑centered cubic, with tantalum atoms substituting for silver sites or residing interstitially, depending on the processing conditions. This substitution leads to a slight increase in density from 10.49 g cm⁻³ for pure silver to approximately 10.8 g cm⁻³ for typical silvertantalum alloys.
Because of its combination of conductivity and durability, silvertantalum is used in high‑frequency electrical connectors, exotic
Manufacturing silvertantalum generally involves vacuum melting or induction‑heated forging, followed by annealing to relieve internal stresses.