Tantalum tube manufacturer should know these things.

Tantalum tube can not be processed by conventional methods as generally metal.Normally the initial step is a forging heat treatment,with a hammer and punch, 2 ways, made tantalum material into small flat slab or circular blank.

Different from general metal, tantalum can not be heat processed. Recrystallization temperature of tantalum exceeds 1000 ~ C, when you heat tantalum tube, even if it had a general protective layer covering, excessive oxidation also would occur. Prolonged exposure in such high temperatures, the oxygen can intrude into the interior of atoms in the substrate, lead to tantalum brittle.Not only oxygen, but also nitrogen, carbon and hydrogen could make tantalum brittle.

For the above reasons, generally does not do hot working to tantalum materials. If thermal processing is necessary, do the protective coating first or finish in an inert gas atmosphere.