Columbite-Tantalite
“The conflict mineral powering your phone”
Columbite-tantalite (often shortened to 'coltan') is a mineral series ranging from niobium-rich columbite to tantalum-rich tantalite. Tantalum extracted from tantalite is essential for capacitors in smartphones, laptops, and medical devices, making this mineral one of the most geopolitically significant on Earth.
iron manganese niobium tantalum oxide ((Fe,Mn)(Nb,Ta)₂O₆)
Democratic Republic of Congo (major source), Rwanda, Greenbushes (Western Australia), Minas Gerais (Brazil), Araxá (Brazil), Ethiopia
6-6.5
Tantalum capacitors derived from coltan are found in virtually every smartphone on Earth — the mineral's concentration in conflict zones of central Africa has fueled ethical sourcing debates across the electronics industry.
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