What is "coltan"

n. A metallic ore from which the elements niobium and tantalum are extracted.

n. a valuable black mineral combining niobite and tantalite; used in cell phones and computer chips [syn: columbite-tantalite]

Coltan (short for columbite–tantalite and known industrially as tantalite) is a dull black metallic ore from which the elements niobium and tantalum are extracted. The niobium-dominant mineral in coltan is columbite (after niobium's original American name, columbium), 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 Congo.