Tungsten metal, also known as Wolfram, was first isolated back in 1783 by J.J. and F. Ehuijar in Vergara, Sweden. The metal itself is quite rare, found exclusively in the Earth’s crust bound within ores and other chemical compounds. Tungsten metal is lustrous and silvery-white in colour, found in the ore Wolframite, an iron manganese tungstate mineral.
Once purified, Tungsten is quite ductile, dense and has the highest melting point of any element currently known. As Tungsten is an ideal metal for high-temperature applications, Tungsten wire is a great option for lighting filaments. These must be able to be reliably heated to incandescence for long periods at a time, without showing any deterioration. It’s common to see Tungsten as an alloy to a variety of metals, including Copper and Nickel, to improve and enhance their properties.
Tungsten wire can be used in a wide range of applications, including:
- Electric filaments
- Military applications such as armour and shells
- Furnaces in the home
- Heating coils
- Vacuum heating electrodes
Tungsten wire has impressive properties, some of which are:
- Extremely high strength
- Corrosion resistance
- Ductility
- Superior creep resistance
- High-temperature resistance
- High density
- Low thermal expansion
- High thermal conductivity
Goodfellow stock a range of Tungsten wire, but we also can supply anything more specific. For more information, please contact our team.
