Tungsten (W) - The Different Properties and Applications

Topics Covered

Introduction
Chemical Properties
Physical Properties
Mechanical Properties
Thermal Properties
Applications

Introduction

Tungsten is a hard metal with a lustrous and silvery white appearance. It is resistant to oxidation and attack by acids and alkalis. It is a bulky metal and has the highest melting point of any metal. The chemical name of tungsten is Wolfram, represented by W. Its atomic number is 74 and it belongs to the transition metal category, period 6 of the periodic table.

Two of the most important ores of tungsten are scheelite and wolframite. These minerals are mainly distributed in China, Austria, Russia, Portugal and Peru. This datasheet will elaborate on the properties and applications of this metal.

Chemical Properties

The chemical properties of tungsten are provided in the table below:

Physical Properties

The following table discusses the physical properties of tungsten.

Mechanical Properties

The mechanical properties of tungsten are tabulated below.

Thermal Properties

The thermal properties of tungsten are tabulated below.

Applications

The following are the application areas of tungsten:

• Electronic industry
• Automobile industry
• Bulb filaments, arc welding electrodes and electric contacts
• Alloying of steels
• Microchip making and liquid crystal displays
• X-ray tube coils, radiation therapy shields
• Rocket nozzles
• Aircraft and helicopter rotor balance weights

Tungsten compounds such as tungsten carbide are used in cement carbides.