Tantalum electrolytic capacitors are the preferred choice in applications where volumetric efficiency, stable electrical parameters, high reliability, and long service life are primary considerations. The stability and resistance to elevated temperatures of the tantalum / tantalum oxide / manganese dioxide system make solid tantalum capacitors an appropriate choice for today's surface mount assembly technology. Vishay Sprague has been a pioneer and leader in this field, producing a large variety of tantalum capacitor types for consumer, industrial, automotive, military, and aerospace electronic applications. Tantalum is not found in its pure state. Rather, it is commonly found in a number of oxide minerals, often in combination with Columbium ore. This combination is known as “tantalite” when its contents are more than one-half tantalum. Important sources of tantalite include Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, and several African countries. Synthetic tantalite concentrates produced from tin slags in Thailand, Malaysia, and Brazil are also a significant raw material for tantalum production.