PROPERTIES

1. Superconductivity. S or ability to conduct electrical current with  very low resistance

2. Ultrarrefractaria capacity. S u highly resistant to high temperatures

3. Capacitor function. O  electric charge accumulator until the time of use 

4. Corrosion resistance

Applications

Coltan and niobium tantalum used in various electrical appliances industries, nuclear power plants, missiles, and other optical fiber is extracted, although most of the production is destined to the production of capacitors and other parts of the phone.

It is applied in the construction of increasingly smaller batteries, allowing your load last much longer. And, anecdotally, that, on his day, the Japanese company Sony had to postpone the launch of its Playstation 2 for not having coltan.  

It is extracted by primitive processes similar to how gold was mined in California there by 1800. Dozens of men work digging large holes in rows to make the coltan underground. The workers then pour water and pour it formed large mud wash pipes, making the metal is deposited on the bottom due to its high weight. A good worker can produce a kilo of coltan in one day. The extraction of coltan is well paid in Congo. The average of a Congolese worker are $ 10 a month, while a coltan currante available from $ 10 to $ 50 a week.

How coltan extracted?