10. Conclusion

In terms of the two centuries since their discovery, these two refractory metals are new.

They only appeared in our daily lives in the 1970s, but their industrial history is prodigiously active.

These two metals are in very buoyant markets: electronics and the development of Chinese and Indian infrastructure markets.

New outlets have emerged for tantalum in Ta-polymer catalysts and PVD targets, and for niobium in niobium capacitors and crystal glass.

Niobium resources are commensurate with this demand: production extensions have been implemented to adapt to global demand, without opening new mines for the time being, but the future should see a new supply appear with new small pyrochlore mines (Oka, Mabounié).

In the case of tantalum, no new deposits have been brought...