The Effect of Temperature on the Purity of Nano-Scale Tantalum Powder Produced from Its Scrap by Reaction with Magnesium and Calcium

In this study, Ta powder was produced from Ta scarp via chemical processes using Mg and Ca powders. At first, Tantalum scraps were converted to Tantalum oxide (Ta2O5) at 1100˚C in an oxygen atmosphere. Tantalum oxide was reduced to Tantalum powder with Mg in a vacuum environment at 950 to 1200˚C for 3 hours. The obtained Ta powders further were reacted with Ca at 950˚C for 5 hours in a vacuum atmosphere. The powders were analyzed through X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), as well as oxygen measurement. The results show that the average particles size of the produced Ta powders is about 58 nm with oxygen contents of 250 ppm.