Definition of coltan
: a dull black ore that consists of a mixture of columbite and tantalite and is a minor source of tantalum
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Recent Examples of coltan from the Web
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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.
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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.
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Wakanda’s entire Vibranium economy is based on Congo’s exclusive rights to the rare mineral coltan (which is in basically EVERY cellphone).
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The eastern region has rich deposits of minerals including tin, gold and coltan.
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These recoverable materials include gold, silver, copper, coltan, platinum, palladium, and other high-value metals.
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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.
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Most people don’t realize, but coltan is one of the most vital minerals on planet Earth.
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In central Africa, miners go into rain forests to dig for an ore called coltan that ends up in phone circuits.
These 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.
Origin and Etymology of coltan
International Scientific Vocabulary columbo-tantalite, from columbite + -o- + tantalite
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