Tungsten, also referred to as Wolfram, is a hard and dense metal that is used in many industries for a variety of applications. It is one of the heaviest of all metals, at 19.2 times heavier than water, and is commonly used in the production of electrical wires, lightbulbs, and radiation shields. Tungstens unique properties make it an ideal material for applications where a material will need to be strong, light, and resistant to corrosion.
Tungsten is mined from a variety of deposits, including tungsten-bearing veins and deposits, which are the traditional and most extensively used sources of tungsten. The tungsten-bearing veins are typically found along the contact between granite and limestone, as well as in pegmatites and quartz veins.
Tungsten can also be extracted from tungsten-rich skarns, which are created when hydrothermal fluids deposit tungsten-rich material into limestone or other types of carbonate rocks. Skarns are a type of metamorphic rock that often contain tungsten minerals such as wolframite, scheelite and ferberite.
In addition to tungsten-bearing veins and skarns, tungsten can also be recovered from placer deposits, which are composed of broken down tungsten minerals that have been transported by water and deposited in river beds, streams and beneath lakes. These placer deposits are often rich sources of tungsten, but are not as efficient as mining from a tungsten-bearing vein or skarn.
The mining process for tungsten is fairly simple, as the metal can often be extracted in its pure form, without the need for elaborate processing techniques. To begin the mining process, a geological survey is conducted in order to locate the vein or skarn deposit. Once the deposit is located, an initial test mining phase is conducted in order to obtain a sample of material that can be used to estimate the real potential the deposit.
If the test results are satisfactory, the deposit is then developed into a mine. This process may involve a series of underground tunnels and drifts which are strategically placed in order to access the tungsten deposit. Underground mining is often used for deposits located at greater depths, as open pits are difficult to work in and require expensive and complicated excavation equipment.
Once the tunnels and drifts have been established, the tungsten ore is then professionally mined, requiring the use of heavy duty machinery such as bulldozers, loaders and grinders. The ore is then transferred to a processing plant, where it is crushed into smaller pieces and separated from the waste material.
The recovery of tungsten is then further improved by the process of concentration, which entails the separation of tungsten-bearing ores from other types of ores. This step can involve the use of physical gravity separators such as spirals, jigs and tables, or chemical methods such as froth flotation.
Once the desired levels of tungsten content have been achieved, the tungsten concentrate is then filtered and melted down in order to separate any heavier and impure materials, such as quartz and sulfur. The tungsten is then sent to a refinery, where it is further purified into a usable form that is used for applications requiring extremely pure tungsten.
Tungsten is a highly valuable resource, as it is one of the few metals that can withstand extreme temperatures. This makes it extremely useful for a variety of applications, ranging from electrical wiring and light bulbs to radiation shields and electronics. Although tungsten can be found in a few places around the world, the majority of tungsten is produced from tungsten-bearing veins or skarn deposits. These deposits can be difficult and expensive to locate and mine, but the high demand for tungsten makes this commodity a valuable resource.
