Coltan (short for columbite–tantalite and known industrially as tantalite) is a dull black metallic ore from which the elements niobium (formerly "columbium") and tantalum are extracted. The niobium-dominant mineral in coltan is columbite, and the tantalum-dominant mineral is tantalite.
Tantalum from coltan is used to manufacture tantalum capacitors, used in electronic products. Coltan mining has been cited as helping to finance serious conflict, for example the Ituri conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Read more about Coltan: Production and Supply, Use and Demand, Ethics of Coltan Mining in The Democratic Republic of Congo, Environmental Concerns, Price Increases and Changing Demands
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