Mining.com has recently reported that the price of tantalum, a precious metal, is on the rise. Several manufacturer’s of capacitors use tantalum as a dielectric because they are known to have high capacitance per volume and weight. Tantalum capacitors are also known to have lower equivalent series resistance (ESR), lower leakage and higher operating temperature than other capacitors. Currently, the price of tantalum is approximately $125 - $130 per pound; up from $100 per pound a year ago. While the price of tantalum has been volatile in the past, analyst are now predicting a 5% growth per year through 2020.
Source:
http://www.mining.com/painting-a-rosy-picture-of-lithium-and-tantalum-99638/