A team of Ghanaian researchers has made a significant discovery of tantalum, a mineral crucial for electronic components, at Bewadze-Mankoadze in the Kibi-Winneba Belt of southern Ghana. This mineral was identified in substantial quantities within an igneous rock known as pegmatite.
According to a report by Asaaseradio.com, the discovery is documented in a paper authored by Dr. Emmanuel Daanoba Sunkari, a lecturer at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) in Tarkwa, alongside Joshua Nkansah, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Johannesburg (also affiliated with UMaT), and Salaam Jansbaka Adams from the University of Environment and Sustainable Development in Somanya. The paper is titled “Geochemical Exploration for Tantalum in Coltan-Rich Pegmatites at Bewadze-Mankoadze Area of the Kibi-Winneba Belt, Southern Ghana: Constraints from Exploratory Data Analysis.”
Their research involved a detailed petrographic analysis of rock samples collected from pegmatite outcrops and a statistical examination of major and minor elements to pinpoint pathfinder elements associated with the tantalum deposit. Ten samples were taken from each town for whole-rock geochemistry, and thin sections were prepared for petrographic evaluation.
The researchers detected geochemical anomalies in the southwestern region of the study area, indicating that tantalum exploration efforts should concentrate there. Pegmatites are prevalent in southern Ghana, especially around areas such as Ewoyaa, Biriwa, Winneba, Bewadze, and Mankoadze.
This study aligns with the global shift toward clean energy, as tantalum is essential for manufacturing capacitors used in renewable energy systems, including solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles. The researchers emphasized that tapping into this tantalum deposit could enhance Ghana’s foreign exchange earnings while supporting clean energy production.
Moreover, the tantalum-rich pegmatites in the Bewadze-Mankoadze area are also home to other valuable minerals, including spodumene, beryl, and tourmaline.
Tantalum, symbolized as Ta with an atomic number of 73, is a lustrous, silvery metal known for its corrosion resistance and ability to withstand chemical attacks at temperatures below 150°C. It is widely used in electronic components, high-temperature devices such as aircraft engines, and has various applications in the medical and dental fields.