Tags: Chemical Substance, Mineral.
The mineral group tantalite [(Fe Mn)Ta2O6] is the primary source of the chemical element tantalum. It is chemically similar to columbite and the two are often grouped together as a semi-singular mineral called coltan or columbite-tantalite in many mineral guides. However tantalite has a much greater specific gravity than columbite (8.0+ compared to columbite’s 5.2).
