How did the tantalum element get its name?

What's in a name? Named for the Greek mythological figure Tantalus. Say what? Tantalum is pronounced as TAN-te-lem. History and Uses: Tantalum was discovered by Anders Gustaf Ekenberg, a Swedish chemist, in 1802 in minerals obtained from Ytterby, Sweden. read more

Tantalum is alloyed with steel to increase steel's ductility, strength and melting point. Tantalum pentoxide (Ta 2 O 5), one of tantalum's compounds, is a dielectric material and is used to make capacitors. read more

Previously known as tantalium, its name comes from Tantalus, a villain from Greek mythology. Tantalum is a rare, hard, blue-gray, lustrous transition metal that is highly corrosion-resistant. It is part of the refractory metals group, which are widely used as minor components in alloys. read more