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Glossary
Tungsten (W)
Tungsten, symbol W (from its German name Wolfram), is a dense, hard, grayish-white metal with the highest melting point of all pure metals—3,422°C (6,192°F)—and one of the highest tensile strengths known. Its atomic number is 74, and it belongs to the transition metal group on the periodic table.
Tungsten is primarily found in nature as part of mineral ores, most notably wolframite ((Fe,Mn)WO₄) and scheelite (CaWO₄). Extracting pure tungsten requires refining these ores into tungsten oxide and then reducing it with hydrogen or carbon to produce metallic tungsten powder.
Because of its exceptional properties, tungsten is critical in many industrial and engineering applications. Its extreme hardness and high melting point make it ideal for cutting tools, drill bits, dies, and wear-resistant parts. Tungsten is also used in filaments for light bulbs, electrodes, rocket nozzles, and turbine blades, where materials must withstand extreme heat without melting or deforming.
When alloyed with other metals, tungsten dramatically improves strength and temperature resistance. For example, tungsten carbide (WC)—a compound of tungsten and carbon—is one of the hardest materials known, used extensively in cutting tools, mining equipment, and industrial machinery. Tungsten is also added to high-speed steels and superalloys to improve their performance under stress and high temperatures.
