: a dull black ore that consists of a mixture of columbite and tantalite and is a minor source of tantalum
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The Central African nation is also endowed with the world’s largest reserves of cobalt – used to produce batteries that power cell phones and electric vehicles – and coltan, which is refined into tantalum and has a variety of applications in phones and other devices.
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Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 27 June 2025
The mines produce coltan — short for columbite-tantalite — an ore from which the metals tantalum and niobium are extracted.
—David Yusufu Kibingila, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025
The deal could help bring in U.S. investment into the DRC, which holds valuable deposits of coltan, cobalt, lithium, copper, and gold.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 21 June 2025
Rwanda is one of the world’s top suppliers of coltan and has surpassed DRC’s export of the mineral in recent years.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN, 12 Feb. 2025
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Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 27 June 2025
The mines produce coltan — short for columbite-tantalite — an ore from which the metals tantalum and niobium are extracted.
—David Yusufu Kibingila, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025
The deal could help bring in U.S. investment into the DRC, which holds valuable deposits of coltan, cobalt, lithium, copper, and gold.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 21 June 2025
Rwanda is one of the world’s top suppliers of coltan and has surpassed DRC’s export of the mineral in recent years.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coltan
Cite this Entry
“Coltan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coltan. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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