Refractory Metal Pure Ta
UNS R05200 · ASTM B365 · also Ta CP
Pure Ta is unalloyed high-purity tantalum (UNS R05200, ASTM B365), produced by electron-beam melting or powder metallurgy and worked into mill products.
Reference datasheet — Pure Ta is not in the instant-quote catalog. Upload your part and an engineer will quote it in this grade or suggest the closest stocked equivalent.
Values for the Vacuum Annealed condition
Pure Ta tempers and conditions
Pure Ta is supplied in 6 conditions, soft to hard. Vacuum Annealed is the default FabDigit quotes; the values on this page are for it.
Compare all 6 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R05400 | Choose for sputtering targets, high-temperature furnace parts and implants where low interstitial content, large grain purity and maximum ductility are required. | 150 | 225 | 42 | 85 HB | 13.2 % IACS |
Vacuum AnnealedDefault recrystallized, softest condition | Default stocked condition for sheet, plate, rod and tube: maximum ductility for deep drawing, spinning, bending and lining work, and lowest gas content. | 170 | 250 | 38 | 95 HB | 12.8 % IACS |
R05200 | Standard commercial purity route (ASTM B708/B365 type R05200); slightly higher interstitials and strength than EB-melted material, adequate for chemical equipment. | 180 | 260 | 35 | 100 HB | 12.5 % IACS |
partially annealed, worked structure retained | Pick when dimensional stability and springback control are needed but full recrystallization softness is not wanted; keeps a useful part of the cold-worked strength. | 270 | 340 | 20 | 128 HB | 12.6 % IACS |
cold rolled, not annealed (approx. 40–70 % CW) | Use for stiffer sheet, foil, shielding and target backing plates where higher yield strength matters more than drawability. | 390 | 450 | 8 | 88 HRB | 12.3 % IACS |
Heavily cold worked wire/foil | Fine wire, springs and capacitor lead wire where maximum strength and stiffness per section is required. | 560 | 620 | 3 | 20 HRC | 12.4 % IACS |
What is Pure Ta?
Pure Ta is unalloyed high-purity tantalum (UNS R05200, ASTM B365), produced by electron-beam melting or powder metallurgy and worked into mill products. Engineers select it for extreme corrosion resistance and biocompatibility combined with exceptional cold formability: 170 MPa yield, 250 MPa tensile, 38 % elongation, 95 HB and 57.5 W/m·K annealed, in sheet, plate, rod, wire, foil and capacitor anodes. Air service is limited to about 300 °C by oxidation and interstitial pickup, machining is gummy and slow, and the metal is expensive. Ta-2.5W is the usual step up when more strength is required. Pure Ta has a density of 16.6 g/cm³ (0.6 lb/in³), heavier than 84% of refractory metal grades. It melts at 2,996°C (5,425 °F). Pure Ta has a yield strength of 170 MPa (24.7 ksi) and a tensile strength of 250 MPa (36.3 ksi) — weaker than 93% of refractory metal grades. Elongation at break is 38% and the elastic modulus is 186 GPa (27 Msi).
What is Pure Ta used for?
- Chemical process vessel liners and cladding
- Heat exchanger tubing and bayonet heaters
- Capacitor anodes
- Surgical implants and radiopaque markers
- Rupture discs and thermowells
- Furnace heat shields and crucibles
- Sputtering targets
Advantages
- Good corrosion resistance — 97/100, better than 97% of refractory metal grades
- Forms and bends easily — 92/100, better than 95% of refractory metal grades
- Ductile — tolerates forming and impact — 38%, better than 94% of refractory metal grades
Limitations
- Limited service temperature — 300°C (572 °F), worse than 95% of refractory metal grades
- Low strength — 170 MPa (24.7 ksi), worse than 93% of refractory metal grades
- High embodied carbon — 260 kg CO₂/kg, worse than 92% of refractory metal grades
- Heavy — 16.6 g/cm³ (0.6 lb/in³), worse than 84% of refractory metal grades
Pure Ta properties
Typical room-temperature values for Pure Ta-Vacuum Annealed; bars are the position among refractory metal grades.
Physical3
Pure Ta has a density of 16.6 g/cm³ (0.6 lb/in³), heavier than 84% of refractory metal grades. It melts at 2,996°C (5,425 °F).
Mechanical13
Pure Ta has a yield strength of 170 MPa (24.7 ksi) and a tensile strength of 250 MPa (36.3 ksi) — weaker than 93% of refractory metal grades. Elongation at break is 38% and the elastic modulus is 186 GPa (27 Msi).
Thermal6
Pure Ta is rated for continuous service to 300°C (572 °F). It conducts heat at 57.5 W/m·K (33.2 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 70% of refractory metal grades. Thermal expansion is 6.5 µm/m·K (3.61 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
Pure Ta conducts electricity at 12.8 % IACS, better than 69% of refractory metal grades.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is excellent (97/100), better than 97% of refractory metal grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of Pure Ta takes about 4,200 MJ of energy and emits 260 kg of CO₂ — more than 91% of refractory metal grades. Typical recycled content is 25%.
Manufacturability8
Pure Ta's machinability is poor (22/100, worse than 73% of refractory metal grades); weldability very good (72/100); formability excellent (92/100).
Common Calculations5
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Strength versus weight in the refractory metal family
Yield strength against density for every refractory metal grade FabDigit runs. Pure Ta is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with Pure Ta
Is Pure Ta easy to machine?
Very gummy and prone to galling: use sharp high-positive-rake carbide or HSS, slow speeds (~15–25 m/min), heavy feed, generous chlorinated or emulsion coolant, and never let the tool dwell.
Can Pure Ta be welded?
GTAW/EBW/laser welds cleanly only in vacuum or high-purity argon/helium chambers with full backside shielding — any O₂, N₂ or H₂ pickup above ~50 ppm causes severe embrittlement; no filler normally needed.
Can Pure Ta be formed, bent or molded?
Excellent cold formability — deep drawing, spinning, hydroforming and tight bends in the annealed state; use non-galling tooling with PTFE/oil interlayers and interstage vacuum anneals at 1000–1300 °C.
Pure Ta chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| Nbprincipal metallic impurity | ≤ 0.1 | 0.03 |
| Ointerstitial; embrittles if high | ≤ 0.02 | 0.01 |
| N | ≤ 0.01 | 0 |
| C | ≤ 0.01 | 0 |
| H | ≤ 0 | 5×10⁻⁴ |
| W | ≤ 0.05 | 0.01 |
| Mo | ≤ 0.02 | 0.01 |
| Fe | ≤ 0.01 | 0 |
| Ti | ≤ 0.01 | 0 |
| Ni | ≤ 0.01 | 0 |
| Si | ≤ 0.01 | 0 |
| Tabalance, metallic basis (Nb excluded from purity count per ASTM) | ≥ 99.9 (balance) |
What surface finishes work on Pure Ta?
Pickle in HF/HNO₃ to remove oxide, then electropolish for chemical or implant service; anodizing produces stable colored Ta₂O₅ films, and no paint or plating is needed for corrosion protection.
Equivalent designations
Standards and trade names that resolve to Refractory Metal Pure Ta in FabDigit's catalog. Equivalence is nominal — check the exact specification when certification matters.
- UNS
- R05200
- ASTM
- B365
- Trade names
- Ta CP
- Also called
- Ta
How much does Pure Ta cost?
Pure Ta is a specialty-cost refractory metal ($$$$$), pricier than about 100% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Pure Ta — frequently asked
What is Pure Ta used for?
Pure Ta is typically used for chemical process vessel liners and cladding, heat exchanger tubing and bayonet heaters, capacitor anodes, surgical implants and radiopaque markers, rupture discs and thermowells and furnace heat shields and crucibles. In short: corrosion-proof tantalum plate.
What is the yield strength of Pure Ta?
Pure Ta has a typical yield strength of 170 MPa (24.7 ksi) and a tensile strength of 250 MPa (36.3 ksi) — weaker than 93% of refractory metal grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 6 listed tempers.
Is Pure Ta easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated poor (22/100, worse than 73% of refractory metal grades). Very gummy and prone to galling: use sharp high-positive-rake carbide or HSS, slow speeds (~15–25 m/min), heavy feed, generous chlorinated or emulsion coolant, and never let the tool dwell.
Can Pure Ta be welded?
Yes — weldability is rated very good (72/100). GTAW/EBW/laser welds cleanly only in vacuum or high-purity argon/helium chambers with full backside shielding — any O₂, N₂ or H₂ pickup above ~50 ppm causes severe embrittlement; no filler normally needed.
What surface finishes work on Pure Ta?
Pickle in HF/HNO₃ to remove oxide, then electropolish for chemical or implant service; anodizing produces stable colored Ta₂O₅ films, and no paint or plating is needed for corrosion protection.
Can Pure Ta be formed, bent or molded?
Excellent cold formability — deep drawing, spinning, hydroforming and tight bends in the annealed state; use non-galling tooling with PTFE/oil interlayers and interstage vacuum anneals at 1000–1300 °C.
What is the maximum service temperature of Pure Ta?
Pure Ta is rated for continuous use to about 300°C (572 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
How much does Pure Ta cost?
Pure Ta is a specialty-cost refractory metal ($$$$$), pricier than about 100% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sources
- ASTM B708 — Tantalum and Tantalum Alloy Plate, Sheet, and Strip — ASTM International (2021)
- ASTM B365 — Tantalum and Tantalum Alloy Rod and Wire — ASTM International (2018)
- ASTM B521 — Tantalum and Tantalum Alloy Seamless and Welded Tubes — ASTM International (2018)
- ASM Handbook Vol. 2 — Properties of Refractory Metals and Alloys — ASM International (1990)
- CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics — CRC Press (2020)
- Tantalum metal product data (sheet, rod, tube) — H.C. Starck / Global Advanced Metals (2022)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.