Occurrence & Locations

Detailed information about where Tantalite is found across Nigeria

Gwagwa

Abuja State • Municipal Area Council LGA

2019

Location Details:

Gwagwa in Municipal Area Council (Federal Capital Territory) is a town located in Nigeria a little west of Abuja, the country's capital town.

Specifications:

Unspecified

Estimated Reserves:

-

Coordinates: 9.075992°N, 7.307522°E

Overview

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). Iron-rich tantalite is the mineral tantalite-(Fe) or ferrotantalite and manganese-rich is tantalite-(Mn) or manganotantalite.

Uses & Applications

Alloys for strength and higher melting points,
Glass to increase the index of refraction,
Surgical steel,
Metal powder in the production of electronic components, mainly capacitors and some high-power resistors.
Manufacture of surgical instruments and implants..
Manufacture of heat exchanging coils
Ultra high frequency electron tubes for radio transmitters.
High refractive index glass for camera lenses
Vacuum furnace parts

Characteristics

Characteristics of Tantalite

Category: Oxide minerals

Chemical formula: (Fe,Mn)Ta₂O₆
Color: Dark black, iron-black to dark brown, reddish brown
Crystal system: Orthorhombic
Cleavage: Good in one direction
Fracture: Subconchoidal
Mohs scale Hardness: 6-6.5
Luster: Submetallic to almost resinous
Streak: Brownish-red to black
Specific gravity: 8.0+

Source: :http://www.galleries.com/Tantalite.

Occurrence

Tantalite can be found in the following Nigerian states: Nasarawa, Kogi, Osun, Ekiti, Kwara, Cross River and other places in Nigeria.

Location of Tantalite Deposits in Nigeria

Investment Opportunities

Large deposits of Tantalite are known to occur in Nasarawa, Kogi, Osun, Ekiti, Kwara, Cross Rives states. The deposits are both alluvial and primary in the numerous pegmatite bodies that infest these areas. Tantalite is the most widespread tantalum mineral and is used in the production of tantalum based capacitors and alloys for strength and higher melting point, in glass to increase the index of refraction and in surgical steel as it is non – reactive and non-irritating to body tissue.

The tantalum market, estimated at 3.75Mlb Ta^2O5 in 2011, is supplied by production from conventional and artisanal mining operations (75% of supply), by material recovered from tin slags (7%) and by scrap recycling (18%). Conventional mines, such as in Australia, Brazil and Ethiopia, make up about half of primary supply, while the other half comes from artisanal production, principally in Central Africa, Brazil and Nigeria. The Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, invites investors to take advantage of liberalised business environment and incentives to invest in Tantalum exploration and production in Nigeria.

It is estimated that investors can make between 10%-15% return on investment on the export of tantalite.