Chemistry Explained

Foundations and Applications

Chemistry » T-Z » Tungsten, Chemical Element

TUNGSTEN
Ads by Google
Nanoparticles /Nanopowder - Metal, Oxide, Carbide, Nitride, Carbon Nanotube, & Dispersion
- www.nanoamor.com
Salomon's Metalen bv - Titan-Molybdenum-Magnesium-Nickel- Tungsten-Zirkonium-
Niobium-Stockist - www.salomons-metalen.nl
Tungsten Carbide Products - TC Wear Parts and Rotary Picks for Road Milling, Trenching &
Mining. - www.e6.com

Overview
Tungsten is a transition metal. The transition metals are a group of elements found in the middle
of the periodic table. They occupy the boxes in Rows 4 through 7 between Groups 2 and 13. The
periodic table is a chart that shows how chemical elements are related to one another.

These metals have very similar physical and chemical properties. One of tungsten's unusual
properties is its very high melting point of 3,410°C (6,170°F). This is the highest melting point
of any metal. Another of its important properties is its ability to retain its strength at very high
temperatures. These properties account for tungsten's primary application, the manufacture of
alloys. An alloy is made by melting and mixing two or more metals. The mixture has properties
different from those of the individual metals.

SYMBOL
W

ATOMIC NUMBER
74

ATOMIC MASS
183.85

FAMILY
Group 6 (VIB)
Transition metal

PRONUNCIATION
TUNG-stun

Ads by Google
High Performant Coatings
Ultra-Resistant Coatings for
extreme environments & constraints
www.acerde.com

Need a New Supplier?

Custom Rolled ® Aluminum coil strip
Any size order delivered fast. RFQ
www.UnitedAluminum.com

CBSE class 9-12 Notes

CBSE Study Material for Chemistry,
Maths, Physics & Bio. View Now!
TopperLearning.com/Study_Notes

Adsorption Measurement
High accuracy instrumentation
for gases and vapors
HidenIsochema.com

Credit for the discovery of tungsten is often divided among three men—Spanish scientists Don
Fausto D'Elhuyard (1755-1833) and his brother Don Juan Jose D'Elhuyard (1754-96), and
Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele (1742-86). Tungsten's chemical symbol, W, is taken
from an alternative name for the element, wolfram.
Discovery and naming
The first mention of tungsten and its compounds can be traced to about 1761. German chemist
Johann Gottlob Lehmann (1719-67) was studying a mineral known as wolframite. He found two
new substances in the mineral but did not recognize that they were new elements.

About twenty years later, Scheele also studied this mineral. He produced from it a white acidic
powder. Scheele knew the powder was a new substance. But he could not isolate a pure element
from it. Scheele's discovery was actually tungstic acid (H 2 WO 4 ). (See sidebar on Scheele in the
chlorine entry in Volume 1.)

Tungsten metal was prepared for the first time in 1783 by the D'Elhuyard brothers. In 1777, they
were sent to Sweden to study mineralogy. After their return to Spain, the brothers worked
together on a number of projects. One project involved an analysis of wolframite. They produced
tungstic acid like Scheele but went one step further. They found a way to obtain pure tungsten
metal from the acid. For this work, they are generally given credit as the discoverers of tungsten.

The name tungsten is taken from the Swedish phrase that means "heavy stone." In some parts of
the world, the element is still called by another name, wolfram. This name comes from the
German expression Wolf rahm, or "wolf froth (foam)." The element's chemical symbol is taken
from the German name rather than the Swedish name.

Physical properties
Tungsten is a hard brittle solid whose color ranges from steel-gray to nearly white. Its melting
point is the highest of any metal, 3,410°C (6,170°F) and its boiling point is about 5,900°C
(10,600°F). Its density is about 19.3 grams per cubic centimeter. Tungsten conducts electrical
current very well.

Chemical properties
Tungsten is a relatively inactive metal. It does not combine with oxygen at room temperatures. It
does corrode (rust) at temperatures above 400°C (700°F. It does not react very readily with acids,
although it does dissolve in nitric acid or aqua regia. Aqua regia is a mixture of hydrochloric and
nitric
Tungsten samples.
acids. It often reacts with materials that do not react with either acid separately.

Occurrence in nature
Tungsten never occurs as a free element in nature. Its most common ores are the minerals
scheelite, or calcium tungstate (CaWO 4 ) and wolframite, or iron manganese tungstate
(Fe,MnWO 4 ). The abundance of tungsten in the Earth's crust is thought to be about 1.5 parts per
million. It is one of the more rare elements.

The largest producers of tungsten in the world are China, Russia, and Portugal. No tungsten was
mined in the United States in 1996. Detailed information about the production and use of
tungsten in the United States is not available. This information is withheld from the public to
protect the companies that produce and use tungsten.

In some parts or the world, tungsten is still called by another name, wolfram. This name comes
from the German expression Wolf rahm, or "wolf froth (foam)."

Isotopes
Five naturally occurring isotopes of tungsten exist. They are tungsten-180, tungsten-182,
tungsten-183, ungsten-184, and tungsten-186. Isotopes are two or more forms of an element.
Isotopes differ from each other according to their mass number. The number written to the right
of the element's name is the mass number. The mass number represents the number of protons
plus neutrons in the nucleus of an atom of the element. The number of protons determines the
element, but the number of neutrons in the atom of any one element can vary. Each variation is
an isotope.

About a dozen radioactive isotopes of tungsten are known also. A radioactive isotope is one that
breaks apart and gives off some form of radiation. Radioactive isotopes are produced when very
small particles are fired at atoms. These particles stick in the atoms and make them radioactive.
None of the radioactive isotopes of tungsten has any important commercial use.

Extraction
Tungsten metal can be obtained by heating tungsten oxide (WO 3 ) with aluminum:

It also results from passing hydrogen gas over hot tungstic acid (H 2 WO 4 ):

Uses
By far the most important use of tungsten is in making alloys. Tungsten is used to increase the
hardness, strength, elasticity (flexibility), and tensile strength (ability to stretch) of steels. The
metal is usually prepared in one of two forms. Ferrotungsten is an alloy of iron and tungsten. It
usually contains about 70 to 80 percent tungsten. Ferrotungsten is mixed with other metals and
alloys (usually steel) to make specialized alloys. Tungsten is also produced in powdered form. It
can then be added to other metals to make alloys.

About 90 percent of all tungsten alloys are used in mining, construction, and electrical and
metalworking machinery.

About 90 percent of all tungsten alloys are used in mining, construction, and electrical and
metal-working machinery. These alloys are used to make high-speed tools; heating elements in
furnaces; parts for aircraft and spacecraft; equipment used in radio, television, and radar; rock
drills; metal-cutting tools; and similar equipment.

Tungsten alloys are used in radar equipment. Here, Doppler radar measures the speed and
direction of local winds.
A small, but very important, amount of tungsten is used to make incandescent lights. The very
thin metal wire that makes up the filament in these lights is made of tungsten. An electric current
passes through the wire, causing it to get hot and give off light. It does not melt because of the
high melting point of tungsten.

Compounds
Probably the most important compound of tungsten is tungsten carbide (WC). Tungsten carbide
has a very high melting point of 2,780°C (5,000°F). It is the strongest structural material. It is
used to make parts for electrical circuits, cutting tools, cermets, and cemented carbide. A cermet
is a material made of a ceramic and a metal. A ceramic is a clay-like material. Cermets are used
where very high temperatures occur for long periods of time. For example, the parts of a rocket
motor or a jet engine may be made from a cermet.

A cemented carbide is made by bonding tungsten carbide to another metal. The product is very
strong and remains strong at high temperatures. Cemented carbides are used for rock and metal
cutting. They can operate at 100 times the speed of similar tools made of steel.

Health effects
Tungsten has no essential role in the health of plants, humans, or animals. In moderate amounts,
it also presents virtually no health danger.
Properties of Tungsten Carbide

Strength - Tungsten carbide has very high strength for a material so hard and rigid.
Compressive strength is higher than virtually all melted and cast or forged metals and
alloys.

Rigidity - Tungsten carbide compositions range from two to three times as rigid as steel
and four to six times as rigid as cast iron and brass. Young's Modulus is up to 94,800,000
psi.

High resistance to deformation and deflection is very valuable in those many applications
where a combination of minimum deflection and good ultimate strength merits first
consideration. These include spindles for precision grinding and rolls for strip or sheet metal.

Impact Resistant - For such a hard material with very high rigidity, the impact resistance
is high. It is in the range of hardened tool steels of lower hardness and compressive
strength.

Heat and oxidation resistance - Tungsten-base carbides perform well up to about 1000°F
in oxidizing atmospheres and to 1500°F in non-oxidizing atmospheres

Low temperature resistance (cryogenic properties) - Tungsten carbide retains

toughness and impact strength in the cryogenic temperature ranges. (-453°F.)

Thermal Conductivity - Tungsten carbide is in the range of twice that of tool steel and
carbon steel.

Electrical Conductivity - Tungsten carbide is in the same range as tool steel and carbon
steel.

Specified Heat - Tungsten carbide ranges from about 50% to 70% as high as carbon steel.

Weight - The specific gravity of tungsten carbide is from 1-1/2 to 2 times that of carbon
steel.

Hot Hardness - With temperature increase to 1400°F, tungsten carbide retains much of its
room temperature hardness. At 1400°F, some grades equal the hardness of steels at room
temperature.

Tolerances - Many surfaces of even complete parts can be used the way they come from
the furnace, "as sintered", such as mining or drilling compacts. In those parts requiring
precision ground accuracy, such as stamping dies, close-tolerance preforms are provided for
grinding or EDM.
Methods of Fastening - Tungsten carbide can be fastened to other materials by any of
three methods; brazing, epoxy cementing, or mechanical means. Tungsten carbide's low
thermal expansion rate must be carefully considered when preforms are provided for
grinding or EDM.

Coefficient of Friction - Tungsten carbide compositions exhibit low dry coefficient of

friction values as compared to steels.

Galling - Tungsten carbide compositions have exceptional resistance to galling and welding
at the surface.

Corrosion-Wear Resistance - Specific grades are available with corrosion resistance

approaching that of noble metals. Conventional grades have sufficient resistance to
corrosion-wear conditions for many applications.

Wear-Resistance - Tungsten carbide wears up to 100 times longer than steel in conditions
including abrasion, erosion and galling. Wear resistance of tungsten carbide is better than
that of wear-resistance tool steels.

Surface Finishes - Finish of an as-sintered part will be about 50 microinches. Surface,

cylindrical, or internal grinding with diamond wheel will produce 18 microinches or better
and can produce as low as 4 to 8 microinches. Diamond lapping and honing can produce 2
microinches and with polishing as low as 1/2 microinch.

Dimensional Stability - Tungsten carbide undergoes no phase changes during heating and
cooling and retains its stability indefinitely. No heat treating is required.