Coltan (short for columbite–tantalite and known industrially as tantalite) is a dull black metallic ore from which the elements niobium and tantalum are extracted.

Aug 22, 2024 · Coltan is essential to our lives. Explore what coltan is, what it's used for, where and how it’s mined and why it’s a conflict mineral.

Jan 14, 2026 · Coltan is the common name for a metallic ore that has become essential for modern digital life. This mineral is the source of a rare element whose unique properties underpin the …

Jan 30, 2026 · More than 200 people have been killed in a collapse at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to a local official. Lubumba Kambere …

Jun 8, 2011 · Coltan is short for columbite-tantalite, a dull metallic ore. When refined, coltan becomes a heat resistant powder, metallic tantalum, which has unique properties for storing electrical charge. …

At least 200 were killed when mines collapsed at a coltan mining site in eastern Congo this week, rebel authorities say. The Rubaya mines, where the disaster occurred, supply a key metal for ...