Conflict Minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo—
Global Tantalum Processing Plants, a Critical Part of the
Tantalum Supply Chain
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) analyzes mineral Post-beneficiation processing plants (generally called
and metal supply chains to identify and describe major smelters and refineries) for 3TG mineral ores and concentrates
components of mineral and metal material flows from ore were identified by company and industry association representa-
extraction, through intermediate forms, to a final product. tives as being the link in the 3TG mineral supply chain through
Supply chain analyses may be used (1) to identify risks to which these minerals can be traced to their source of origin
the United States associated with the supply of critical and (mine). The determination of the source of origin is critical to
strategic minerals and metals and (2) to provide greater the development of a complete and transparent conflict-free
supply chain transparency so that policymakers have the fact- mineral supply chain (U.S. Government Accountability Office,
based information needed to formulate public policy. This fact 2012, p. 19). Tungsten processing plants were the subject of the
sheet focuses on the post-mining/pre-consumer-product part first fact sheet in this series published by the USGS NMIC in
of the tantalum supply chain. The USGS National Minerals August 2014 (Bermúdez-Lugo, 2014). Background information
Information Center (NMIC) has been asked by governmental about historical conditions and multinational stakeholders’
and non-governmental organizations to provide information voluntary due diligence guidance for minerals from conflict-
about tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold (collectively known as affected and high-risk areas is presented in the tungsten fact
“3TG minerals”) processing facilities worldwide in response sheet. This fact sheet, the second in a series about 3TG minerals,
to U.S. legislation aimed at identifying and removing the focuses on the tantalum supply chain by listing selected
supply chain links between the trade in these minerals and processors that produced tantalum materials commercially
civil unrest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and worldwide during 2013–14. It does not provide any information
adjacent countries. regarding the sources of material processed in these facilities.
180° 140° 100° 60° 20° 0° 20° 60° 100° 140° 180°
80°
ESTONIA
60° RUSSIA
GERMANY
CANADA, 2%
AUSTRIA
40° UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA
CHINA, 8%
MEXICO INDIA
20°
THAILAND
EXPLANATION ETHIOPIA, 9%
NIGERIA, 8%
0° Mine production—Average
DEMOCRATIC RWANDA, 21%
percentage of world BRAZIL, 21% BURUNDI, 3%
REPUBLIC OF
production of ores and THE CONGO, 16%
20° concentrates, 2009–13
Ta2O5 production, 2013–14 AUSTRALIA, 2%
MOZAMBIQUE, 10%
K2TaF7 production, 2013–14
40°
60°
80°
Figure 1. Global producers of tantalum industrial products in 2013 –14 and
percentage of 2009 –13 average world tantalum mine production by country.
U.S. Department of the Interior Fact Sheet 2014 – 3122
U.S. Geological Survey December 2014
Background Tantalum ore, which may be 0.02 percent to 0.04 percent
Ta2O5 , is composed of a range of different tantalum-containing
Tantalum does not occur naturally as pure metal; however, minerals along with other non-tantalum-containing minerals.
of the more than 70 identified tantalum-containing minerals, Owing to the low grades of tantalum ore, it is beneficiated (a
tantalite [(Fe,Mn)(Ta,Nb)2O6], microlite [(Na,Ca)Ta2O6(O,OH,F)], physical process that does not chemically change the material)
and wodginite [(Ta,Nb,Sn,Mn,Fe)O2] are of greatest economic to tantalum concentrate that is 20 percent to 40 percent Ta2O5
importance (Mining Journal, 2008; Roskill Information Services equivalent (Linnen and others, 2014). The tantalum concen-
Ltd., 2012; Minor Metals Trade Association, 2014; Stratton and trate is more than 20 percent Ta2O5 , and typically is about
Henderson, 2014). Of these three, tantalum is derived mainly from 30 percent Ta2O5.
the mineral tantalite, which is found as an accessory mineral in Once the tantalum ore is recovered and concentrated,
rare-metal granites and pegmatites enriched in lithium, cesium, it is processed (reacted chemically at high temperature) in
and tantalum (termed the LCT family) (Schulz and Papp, several different ways to extract the tantalum in a form usable
2014). Tantalum minerals also may be associated with niobium, by industry. Tantalum concentrate is dissolved in acid at high
rare-earth elements, tin, or zirconium. Tantalum is mined as temperature after which the solution is reacted with chemicals
a primary product and also is recovered as a byproduct from that yield K-salt (also called potassium fluortantalate,
processing lithium and tin ores. Tantalum minerals are recovered potassium fluorotantalate, potassium heptafluorotantalate, or
by artisanal and industrial mining operations. In descending potassium tantalum fluoride) or Ta2O5 (also called tantalum
order of production, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, pentoxide or tantalum oxide). Complicating the tantalum
and Brazil were the leading global producers of tantalum mineral supply chain is synthetic concentrate (a byproduct of indus-
concentrates in 2014. The Democratic Republic of the Congo trial processing that is a material form in which tantalum
increased tantalum production in 2013 and 2014 and replaced is recycled) and tantalum-containing tin slag concentrates,
Brazil as the second leading producer. Figure 1 shows share both of which can enter the supply chain along with tantalum
of 2009–13 average world tantalum mine production, and concentrate produced from tantalum ore. Further processing
global producers of tantalum industrial products in 2013 –14 produces tantalum metal powder and other tantalum-
by country. The figure shows the national mine sources of containing materials. Tantalum metal is further processed into
tantalum, and the national processors of concentrate to the first a variety of mill products (Tantalum-Niobium International
products, K-salt (K2TaF7 ) and tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5 ). Study Center, 2014).
Table 1. Selected tantalum processing plants that produced industrial tantalum products in 2013 –14.— Continued
[Products produced: FeNbTa, ferroniobium-tantalum; K2TaF7 , K-salt; Ta2O5 , tantalum pentoxide; TaAl, aluminum alloy; TaAlloys, tantalum alloys; TaC, tantalum
carbide; TaCl5 , tantalum chloride; TaH5 , tantalum hydride; TaMtl, tantalum metal; TaN, tantalum nitride; TaNbC, tantalum niobium carbide; TaPwdr, tantalum powder;
TaRecyc, tantalum recycle; TaSe2 , tantalum diselenide; TaSi 2 , tantalum silicide. HQ, headquarters; NA, not available]
Country Product(s) produced Location Operator/owner
Austria Ta2O5 , TaC Multiple; Althofen, Carinthia (HQ) Treibacher Industrie AG
Brazil Ta2O5 São João Del Rei, Minas Gerais State LSM Brazil SA (formerly Companhia Industrial Flumi-
nense) [AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group N.V.
(Netherlands)] (formerly London & Scandinavian
Metallurgical Co., Ltd.)
Brazil FeNbTa São Paulo State Mineração Taboca SA (Minsur SA)
China TaPwdr, Ta2O5 , K2TaF7 , Conghua, Guangdong Province Conghua Tantalum and Niobium Smeltery (CTNS)
TaMtl
China K2TaF7 , Ta2O5 , TaC Chengnan Industrial Zone, Qingyuan, Fogang Jiata Metals Co., Ltd. (Jiayuan Cobalt Holdings)
Guangdong Province
China Ta2O5 , K2TaF7 Yingde, Guangdong Province Guangdong Zhiyuan New Material Co., Ltd.
(Jiayuan Cobalt Holdings)
China Ta2O5 , K2TaF7 NA Hengyang King Xing Lifeng New Materials Co., Ltd.
China Ta2O5 , K2TaF7 , TaPwdr, Yaxi Industrial Development Zone, Xinhui, Jiangmen Fuxiang Electro-materials Ltd.
TaMtl Jiangmen, Guangdong Province (F&X Electro-Materials Ltd.)
China Ta2O5 , K2TaF7 Fengxin County, Jiangxi Province Jiangxi Province Ding Hai Tantalum & Niobium Co., Ltd.
China Ta2O5 , K2TaF7 , TaC Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province JiuJiang JinXin Nonferrous Metals Co., Ltd.
China Ta2O5 , TaMtl Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province Jiujiang Tanbre Co., Ltd. (JJTC)
(formerly Jiujiang Tanbre smelter)
(Jiangxi Tungsten Group Ltd Corp. [JWYX])
Table 1. Selected tantalum processing plants that produced industrial tantalum products in 2013 –14.— Continued
[Products produced: FeNbTa, ferroniobium-tantalum; K2TaF7 , K-salt; Ta2O5 , tantalum pentoxide; TaAl, aluminum alloy; TaAlloys, tantalum alloys; TaC, tantalum
carbide; TaCl5 , tantalum chloride; TaH5 , tantalum hydride; TaMtl, tantalum metal; TaN, tantalum nitride; TaNbC, tantalum niobium carbide; TaPwdr, tantalum powder;
TaRecyc, tantalum recycle; TaSe2 , tantalum diselenide; TaSi 2 , tantalum silicide. HQ, headquarters; NA, not available]
Country Product(s) produced Location Operator/owner
China Ta2O5 , K2TaF7 , TaC, Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province Jiujiang Zhongao Tantalum & Niobium Co., Ltd.
TaMtl (joint venture Jiangxi Jiujiang Yizhong Nonferrous
Metals Co., Ltd., and others)
China Ta2O5 , K2TaF7 , TaC, Shishi Industrial Zone, Yifeng County Indus- King-Tan Tantalum Industry, Ltd.
TaPwdr, TaMtl trial Park, Fengcheng, Jiangxi Province
China TaAlloys, TaC, Ta2O5 , Many (Shanghai, Suzhou in China and Materion Advanced Materials Thin Film Products
TaN, TaSi2, TaSe2 others in England, Ireland, Philippines,
Singapore, Taiwan, and United States)
China Ta2O5 , TaMtl, TaPwdr Jiangning Economic Development Zone, Metalink International Co., Ltd.
Nanjing, Jiangsu Province (affiliates: Nanjing Metalink International Co., Ltd.,
and Metalink Special Alloys Corp.)
China Ta2O5 , TaCl5, TaNbC, Shizuishan, Ningxia Province Ningxia Orient Tantalum Industry Co., Ltd. (OTIC)
Ta ethoxide, TaMtl,
TaAlloys
China Ta2O5 Buxia Cun, Rencun Town, Xinxing, XinXing Haorong Electronic Material Co., Ltd.
Yunfu, Guangdong Province
China Ta2O5 , TaC, TaPwdr Lianggang Industrial Park, Yifeng County, Yichun Jinyang Rare Metal Co., Ltd.
Yichun, Jiangxi Province
China K2TaF7 , Ta2O5 , Zhuzhou, Hunan Province Zhuzhou Cemented Carbide Works Import & Export Co.
Ta ethoxide, TaPwdr, (Zhuzhou Cemented Carbide Group Corporation, Ltd.)
TaMtl, TaAlloys, TaC
Estonia Ta2O5 , TaH5, TaMtl Sillamae, Ida-Virumaa Molycorp Silmet AS (Molycorp, Inc.)
(ingots, chips)
Germany TaMtl, Ta2O5 , TaAl Freiberg, Saxony Freiberger NE-Metall GmbH & Co. Produktions KG
(GfE Gesellschaft für Elektrometallurgie mbH, AMG
Advanced Metallurgical Group N.V.)
Germany TaMtl, Ta2O5 , TaAl Nuremberg, Middle Franconia GfE—Metalle und Materialien GmbH
(GfE Gesellschaft für Elektrometallurgie mbH,
AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group N.V.)
Germany TaPwdr, TaNbC, Ta2O5 , Many (Munich [HQ]; Im Schleeke, Goslar, H.C. Starck, GmbH
TaCl5, TaMtl, TaRecyc Lower Saxony; Hermsdorf, Thuringia;
two plants in Laufenberg, Baden-Wurt-
temberg in Germany; others in China,
Japan, Thailand, and United States)
Germany TaPwdr, TaNbC, Ta2O5 , Hanau, Hesse Heraeus Materials Technology, GmbH & Co. KG
TaCl5, TaMtl, TaRecyc (formerly W.C. Heraeus) (Heraeus Holding, GmbH)
India K2TaF7, Ta2O5 Taloja, District Raigad, Maharashtra Metallurgical Products India Pvt Ltd. (MPIL)
Japan Ta2O5 , TaC, TaNbC Omuta, Fukuoka Prefecture Engineered Powders Div. Miike Rare Metal Plant
(Mitsui Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd.)
Japan TaPwdr Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture Global Advanced Metals, Pty, Ltd.
Japan TaPwdr, TaNbC, Ta2O5 , Hitachiomiya, Ibaraki Prefecture H.C. Starck, Ltd., H.C. Starck, GmbH
TaCl5, TaMtl, TaRecyc
Japan Ta2O5 Kako, Hyogo Prefecture Taki Chemicals Co., Ltd.
Mexico K2TaF7 Matamoros, Tamaulipas Kemet de México, S.A. de C.V.
(Kemet Blue Powder Corp. [Kemet Corp.])
Russia Ta2O5 , TaMtl Solikamsk, Perm Krai Solikamsk Magnesium Works OAO
(Solikamsk Magnesium Works [SMZ] JSC)
United States TaMtl, TaAlloys Boyertown, Berks and Montgomery Global Advanced Metals
Counties, Pennsylvania
Uses References Cited
Tantalum has many properties that make it desirable for a Bermúdez-Lugo, Omayra, 2014, Conflict minerals from
wide array of applications. Tantalum can store and release energy, the Democratic Republic of the Congo—Global tungsten
making it desirable to the electronics industry, which consumes processing plants, a critical part of the tungsten supply
more than one-half of tantalum world mine production. Tantalum- chain: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2014–3069, 4 p.,
based components can be exceptionally small, and other chemical revised August 15, 2014. Accessed October 1, 2014, at
elements cannot serve as substitutes without degrading the [Link]
performance of electronic devices. As a result, tantalum is used
Linnen, Robert, Trueman, D.L., and Burt, Richard, 2014,
in components for items as ubiquitous as cell phones, hard
Tantalum and niobium, in Gunn, Gus, ed., 2014, Critical
drives, and hearing aids. Tantalum’s high biocompatibility
metals handbook: British Geological Survey, p. 361–384.
allows it to coat stronger, less costly substrates, such as stain-
less steel, for medical applications. It is used for blood vessel Mining Journal, 2008, Tantalum (2006 and first half of 07):
support stents, bone replacements, plates, and suture clips and Mining Journal, unpaginated.
wire. In the chemical industry, tantalum’s corrosion resistance
Minor Metals Trade Association, 2014, Minor metals in the
makes it useful as a lining for pipes, tanks, and vessels. The
periodic table—Ta—Tantalum, accessed October 1, 2014,
hardness of tantalum carbide makes it an ideal component in the
at [Link]
manufacture of cutting tools, and tantalum oxide can increase
the refractive index of lens glass (Schwela, 2010). Roskill Information Services Ltd., 2012, Tantalum—Market
outlook to 2016: London, United Kingdom, Roskill
Tantalum Processing Facility Data Information Services Ltd., 164 p.
More than 30 tantalum processors were part of the global Schulz, Klaus, and Papp, John, 2014, Niobium and tantalum—
tantalum supply chain during 2013–14 (table 1). The USGS does Indispensable twins: U.S. Geological Survey Fact
not have complete data on the source materials or processing Sheet 2014 –3054, 2 p. (Also available at [Link]
methods of these tantalum processing companies and (or) plants org/10.3133/fs20143054.)
and therefore cannot verify whether these facilities consumed Schwela, Ulric, 2010, The state of tantalum mining: London,
tantalum concentrates, and, if so, whether or not those concen- United Kingdom, Mining Journal Supplement, September,
trates were sourced from conflict-affected areas. Other forms of 11 p.
tantalum such as synthetic concentrate, tin slag, or intermediate
products may be used as source materials. The table excludes Stratton, Patrick, and Henderson, David, 2014, Tantalum
companies and (or) plants that were known to only process market overview: Minor Metals Trade Association,
recycled materials. The tantalum supply chain is complex and, accessed October 1, 2014, at [Link]
often, opaque. Some companies operate plants at multiple loca- tantalum-market-overview/.
tions within, between, or among countries. Companies usually Tantalum-Niobium International Study Center, 2014,
report products that they supply to the market place; however, Tantalum—Raw materials and processing, accessed
they may not describe which of their plants use which starting October 1, 2014, at [Link]
materials and (or) processes. As a result, plants reported for
some multi-plant corporations may or may not consume and (or) U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), 2012,
produce all of the tantalum materials reported. Selected tantalum Report to Congressional committees—Conflict minerals
processing plants are also potential tantalum concentrate disclosure rule—SEC’s actions and stakeholder-developed
consumers as indicated by their offering K-salt and (or) tantalum initiatives: Washington, D.C., U.S. GAO, Report
oxide products, the usual first materials derived from tantalum GAO –12–763, 45 p. (Also available at [Link]
concentrate, or by their reporting that they consume concentrate. assets/600/[Link].)
The data were compiled and evaluated by the NMIC from
sources that include company reports, foreign governments, By John F. Papp
industry analysts, industry associations, inter-governmental
organizations, non-governmental organizations, and trade
journals. Company information, such as name, location, and Information Contact
products produced, were verified via company Web sites,
Director, National Minerals Information Center
which were the authoritative sources for company name and
U.S. Geological Survey 73
location. It was the intent to include all concentrate-consuming
companies and plants; however, some may not have been
listed. Some large companies have multiple plants, which may
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
988 National Center Ta
Reston, VA 20192
or may not have been described in sufficient detail to identify 180.9
Email: nmicrecordsmgt@[Link]
their location or the tantalum material that was processed.
For example, information was not available on all tantalum- Or visit the USGS Minerals Information Web site at
producing companies, and many companies that were reported [Link]
to have been tantalum suppliers could not be confirmed as
ISSN 2327– 6916 (print)
such. Companies changed names, were referred to imprecisely, ISSN 2327– 6932 (online)
changed ownership, or went out of business. [Link]