coltan
noun
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Definition of coltan
: a dull black ore that consists of a mixture of columbite and tantalite and is a minor source of tantalum
Examples of coltan in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There is also active mining in the region for diamonds and coltan, a metallic ore that yields the rare-earth element tantalum used in cellphones. — Kejal Vyas |, WSJ, "Desperate Venezuelans Dig Up Paradise in Search of Gold," 20 Nov. 2018 The war was the beginning of a series of conflicts that swept the verdant hills of eastern Congo, a region rich with minerals such as gold, tin and coltan. — Gabriele Steinhauser, WSJ, "Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to Anti-Sexual Violence Campaigners," 5 Oct. 2018 The Western lowland gorilla's native habitat in Africa is shrinking due in part to mining of a metallic ore called coltan, a key ingredient in manufacturing batteries, including the kind found in our phones. — Jennifer Larino, NOLA.com, "Meet Audubon Zoo's new Western lowland gorilla troop," 1 Mar. 2018 Race organizers ask for these donations because recycling cell phones reduces the need for additional coltan, a mineral extracted from the forests of Congo, home to endangered lowland gorillas. — Chris Barlow, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "With a new year upon us, try these 7 interesting and new workout options in Milwaukee area," 3 Jan. 2018 Wakanda’s entire Vibranium economy is based on Congo’s exclusive rights to the rare mineral coltan (which is in basically EVERY cellphone). — Jason Johnson, The Root, "Hey, Dude: Black Panther Wasn’t Filmed in Africa, Just Like Star Wars Wasn’t Filmed in Space," 22 Jan. 2018 The eastern region has rich deposits of minerals including tin, gold and coltan. — Bloomberg.com, "Kabila Crisis Fuels Conflict in Eastern Congo as UN Targeted," 20 Dec. 2017 These recoverable materials include gold, silver, copper, coltan, platinum, palladium, and other high-value metals. — National Geographic, "Each U.S. Family Trashes 400 iPhones’ Worth of E-Waste a Year," 13 Dec. 2017 For two decades the country has struggled to defeat dozens of local and foreign militias in the east, which has deposits of tin, gold and coltan. — William Clowes, Bloomberg.com, "UN Sends Troops to East Congo City as Army Fights Rebels," 28 Sep. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'coltan.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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