Tungsten

Tungsten has the highest melting point of all metals, 3,422°C, and the highest tensile strength at high temperatures. It was the metal inside every incandescent light bulb filament for a century, and today it is the hardest metal used in cutting tools, found in drill bits, milling cutters and armour-piercing ammunition.

• Atomic Number7474 protons, 74 electrons
• Atomic Mass183.84 u74× heavier than hydrogen
• State at Room TempSolidSolid
• Density19.3 g/cm³
• Melting / Boiling3421.8°C / 5554.9°C
• Discovered1783

What is Tungsten?

Tungsten is a transition metal in Group 6. With 74 protons, it has the highest melting point and the second highest density (after osmium) of all metals. Its symbol W comes from the Swedish/German name Wolfram, an old mining term meaning wolf's foam, because tungsten ore interfered with tin smelting. Tungsten was discovered in 1783 by the Elhuyar brothers in Spain.

Named from the Swedish tung sten meaning heavy stone. Symbol W from Wolfram. Carl Wilhelm Scheele identified tungstic acid in 1781; Juan José and Fausto Elhuyar isolated the metal in 1783.

Fact Tungsten carbide (WC) is almost as hard as diamond but far cheaper. The tips of most metal-cutting tools, mining drill bits and stone-boring equipment are cemented tungsten carbide. It is second only to diamond in hardness among widely used industrial materials.

Where you find Tungsten

On Earth

China produces approx. 83% of world tungsten. Scheelite and wolframite are the main ores.

How we use Tungsten

• Incandescent light bulb filaments, tungsten withstands the 2,500°C temperature needed to glow white.. Light bulb filaments
• Cemented carbide cutting tools, tungsten carbide (WC) with cobalt binder is the standard material for metal cutting, drilling and mining.. Cutting tools
• Tungsten is used in armour-piercing ammunition, counterweights in aircraft and formula racing cars, and radiation shielding.. Armour and counterweights

Did you know? Tungsten carbide (WC) is almost as hard as diamond but far cheaper. The tips of most metal-cutting tools, mining drill bits and stone-boring equipment are cemented tungsten carbide. It is second only to diamond in hardness among widely used industrial materials.

How it was discovered

Named from the Swedish tung sten meaning heavy stone. Symbol W from Wolfram. Carl Wilhelm Scheele identified tungstic acid in 1781; Juan José and Fausto Elhuyar isolated the metal in 1783.

Deeper dive: tungsten properties and applications

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Moving to 75 protons on the periodic table takes us to the next element.