Tantaline receives FDA approval for tantalum surface alloy material

Tantaline^®, the world’s leading producer of surface alloys for valves, fittings, instrumentation, and custom products in highly corrosive and/or hot acid environments, today announced that it has been approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“The FDA approval of Tantaline provides engineers with a proven material option that is the most contamination-risk-free metal commercially available”

The FDA approval was granted to Tantaline’s tantalum surface alloy material. The Tantaline material is created when the Company’s tantalum vapor technology is metallurgically alloyed to standard or stainless steel. In its response, the FDA approved Tantaline for “repeated use in food processing equipment such as components of valves, fittings, and instrumentation that contacts food.” In addition, the FDA concluded that if the tantalum surface remains chemically inert and resistant to corrosion and abrasion under their intended conditions of use, there is little to no risk of food contamination, leaching, or metal migration.

“The FDA approval of Tantaline provides engineers with a proven material option that is the most contamination-risk-free metal commercially available,” said Dean Gambale, president of Tantaline. “At Tantaline, we have long known that our tantalum surface alloy is the most corrosion resistant and inert material you can find at a competitive cost to specialty metals. The approval from the FDA further validates and gives confidence to engineers regarding the integrity, composition, and inertness of Tantaline’s surface alloy material and its use for contamination-sensitive products, processes, or applications.”

The FDA approval confirms Tantaline’s stated purity and safety of its tantalum surface alloy material. A Tantaline-treated product meets or exceeds the chemistry of ASTM B-364 grade tantalum and therefore has exactly the same chemical properties and corrosion resistance as pure tantalum metal. According to the FDA, there are no known safety or contamination issues with Tantaline when the material is used with food applications.