Tantalizing Tantalum (2015)

Tantalum bulbs however were soon replaced by another refractory metal, tungsten, more suitable because it is less volatile and has an even higher melting point (3,695 K). Modern applications of tantalum span from the production of alloys, to electronics — mobile phones and similar devices often rely on tantalum capacitors — to surgical implants, where inertness ensures that it doesn’t interfere with biological tissues or processes. Another important aspect of 180mTa, and the other long-lived nuclear isomers, is that it may be possible to force their decay to the ground state, inducing the release of energy in the form of gamma ray emission.

Source: www.nature.com