Columbite-tantalite, traded as coltan, is the source of the tantalum that goes into capacitors in almost every phone and laptop made. It is also the mineral under the heaviest international scrutiny, and buyers will not touch a parcel that cannot show where it came from.
Tantalite
Columbite-Tantalite (Coltan)
Traceability Is the Product
For tantalum, provenance is not paperwork, it is the commercial requirement. Buyers operating under OECD due diligence rules need a documented origin, and material without one is unsellable at a serious price.
Documented Origin
Every lot carries its site of origin, the title it was won under, and the chain of handlers to the buyer.
Ta2O5 and Nb2O5 Assay
Priced on combined tantalum and niobium oxide content, assayed rather than estimated.
No Unlicensed Material
We do not buy coltan of unknown origin, at any discount. It cannot be sold on to a compliant buyer.