A study has revealed that a new mineral, Tantalum, has been discovered at Bewadze-Mankoadze in the Kibi-Winneba Belt of southern Ghana.
The mineral is found in large quantities in igneous rock known as pegmatite.
Tantalum appears as a shiny and silvery metal in its soft and pure form with corrosion resistance and is bound to chemical attacks below 150 C. Tantalum is used mainly as an alloying medium as it is helpful for hardening metals, employed in the manufacture of capacitors and also has a high number of medical as well as dental applications.
Many uses of tantalum is in the production of electronic components and are applicable in the field of high-temperature devices such as in the engines of aircraft.
This is contained in a published paper by Mr Emmanuel Daanoba Sunkari, Mr Joshua Nkansah, and Salaam Jansbaka Adams on the “Geochemical exploration for tantalum in coltan-rich pegmatites at Bewadze-Mankoadze area of the Kibi-Winneba Belt, southern Ghana: Constraints from exploratory data analysis”.
The study covered petrographic studies of rock samples from pegmatite outcrops and statistical analysis of the major and minor elements conducted to identify the pathfinder elements of a new tantalum deposit in the area.
The researchers said the study was a contribution to the global transition to clean energy since tantalum was a critical mineral that could be used in the production of capacitors.
Tantalum capacitors play a crucial role in energy-saving technologies, such as renewable energy systems which facilitate effective storage and transportation of energy in solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles.
Furthermore, it aided in decreasing reliance on fossil fuels and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions hence if the tantalum deposit was economically harnessed, it would boost the foreign exchange earnings of Ghana. The by-products can also be used for clean energy production in the country.
The researchers also said the tantalum-bearing pegmatites in the Bewadze-Mankoadze area contained a wide variety of precious minerals, including spodumene, beryl, and tourmaline.
Ten samples were obtained from each town for whole-rock geochemistry and thin sections were prepared from some of the samples taken for petrographic analysis.
They recommended that exploration activities for tantalum mineralization should focus on the southwestern part of Ghana, where the anomalies of the pathfinder elements were located. The pegmatites were abundant in southern Ghana, especially in Ewoyaa, Biriwa, Winneba, Bewadze, and Mankoadze areas.
Tantalum is a chemical element with the symbol Ta and atomic number 73 in the periodic table, with an origin named after the name of a villain from Greek mythology, Tantalus.
