Tungsten
Tungsten is a hard, dense, malleable, ductile and toxic transition metal with the atomic number 74 and chemical symbol W. It is silvery-white coloured and not readily attacked by acids or alkalis, and it is found naturally in various parts of the world. Tungsten is one of the few metals that have the highest melting point (3422 °C) and the second hardest metal after diamond; it is also very resistant to wear and corrosion.
The name of tungsten has been derived from the Swedish word ‘tung’ which loosely translates to ‘heavy’ owing to its high weight. Apart from being highly prized by manufacturers due to its strength, the metal is also very valuable in the medical field and is used to make several medical instruments and tools.
Tungsten is obtained from two primary ores- wolframite and scheelite. Owing to its extreme hardness, its extraction is a difficult process. The ore is crushed, milled and heated which is then passed through a series of smelting and reduction processes, ultimately resulting in the production of tungsten compounds.
Tungsten finds varied applications in a number of industries. In terms of high-tech products and consumer electronics, tungsten is an essential raw material for production of screens, wires, plugs and heating elements. Tungsten is also an essential metal in the aerospace, automotive and machine tools industry where it is used for the manufacture of high-tech cutting tools, drills, turbine blades, forgings and metal alloys which offer increased safety and reliability.
The metal also finds usage in the Military and Defence industry as tungsten is an ideal metal for armour-piercing shells and other ammunition as it offers higher resistant to metal fatigue than other alloys. In view of its low ionization potential, tungsten is also used to make high-density components such as x-ray tubes and radar components.
Tungsten is also highly valued by scientists, as it is a proven aid to medical research. Tungsten is used to make medical instruments such as catheters, needles, scalpels, tweezers and thermometers. Moreover, tungsten is used to make radiation shields and protective garments for nuclear technicians and medical professionals.
Ultimately, the unique properties of tungsten such as its unmatched strength and malleability have made it an essential material for various industries and applications. Tungsten is a strategic metal which will remain a valuable commodity for many years to come.
