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Tungsten Straight Wire
Available Configurations
Properties common to all products in this list
| Purity | Diameter | Length | Other Variant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 99.9% (3N) to 99.95% (3N5) | 0.075 mm to 1.5 mm | 0.005 m to 1 m |
Spooled Grade 1 Spooled |
Need custom configurations? Please contact us.
Key Features
Tungsten Straight Wire at 99.95% purity is a cut-length refractory wire combining an unmatched melting point with dimensional stability that makes it the standard choice for wire elements that must hold geometry under sustained thermal load:
Melting Point 3410 °C — Highest of Any Element
Combined with a tensile modulus of 411 GPa, this gives unmatched resistance to thermal deformation, making it the standard material for vacuum furnace heater elements, electron source filaments, and high-temperature resistance elements.
Tensile Strength 1920 MPa (Hard-Drawn)
The body-centred cubic hard-drawn structure provides the mechanical integrity needed to maintain wire and coil geometry through repeated high-temperature cycling in cathode filament, vacuum furnace, and welding electrode applications.
Stable Thermionic Emission — Work Function 4.55 eV
Consistent electron emission and minimal thermal deformation make this wire the standard cathode filament material for electron microscopes, X-ray tubes, ion sources, and field emission systems.
Very Low Thermal Expansion & High Dimensional Stability
Wire elements hold precise geometry under sustained load — essential for STM probes, thin-film deposition heater coils, and high-temperature instrumentation where geometric drift would compromise accuracy or process control.
Very Low Vapor Pressure — High-Vacuum Compatible
Negligible evaporative mass loss at operating temperature ensures long service life without vacuum contamination in furnaces, deposition systems, and electron optical instruments.
Research Applications
Used in fusion plasma diagnostics, thermionic emission studies, and as a clean, well-characterized refractory metal substrate for surface science experiments.
Industrial Applications
Tungsten Straight Wire is used wherever the combination of maximum melting point, stable thermionic emission, and precise wire geometry is required:
- ✦ Cathode Filaments — Electron Microscopes, X-Ray Tubes & Ion Sources
- The 4.55 eV work function and stable high-temperature emission ensure consistent beam performance and long filament life in electron optical and X-ray instruments.
- ✦ Field Emission Systems
- Hardness and tip-geometry stability under high electric field conditions support reliable, reproducible emission in electron optical and ion beam instruments.
- ✦ Vacuum Furnace & Thin-Film Deposition Heaters
- Maximum melting point, very low vapor pressure, and excellent dimensional stability combine to give long-life heater elements that do not contaminate the process environment.
- ✦ Welding Electrodes & High-Temperature Resistance Elements
- 1920 MPa tensile strength and exceptional thermal stability maintain electrode and element geometry under the combined demands of welding and high-temperature measurement service.
- ✦ Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Probes
- High modulus, low thermal expansion, and a well-characterized surface provide the tip-geometry stability and surface reproducibility required for atomic-resolution STM imaging.
- ✦ Research: Plasma Diagnostics, Thermionic Emission & Surface Science
- Used as a reproducible, high-purity wire substrate across plasma physics, electron emission research, and surface chemistry experimental programs.
Material Properties
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 74 |
| Crystal structure | Body centred cubic |
| Electronic structure | Xe 4f¹⁴ 5d⁴ 6s² |
| Valences shown | 2,3,4,5,6 |
| Atomic weight( amu ) | 183.85 |
| Thermal neutron absorption cross-section( Barns ) | 18.5 |
| Photo-electric work function( eV ) | 4.55 |
| Natural isotope distribution( Mass No./% ) | 183/ 14.3 |
| Natural isotope distribution( Mass No./% ) | 182/ 26.3 |
| Natural isotope distribution( Mass No./% ) | 186/ 28.6 |
| Natural isotope distribution( Mass No./% ) | 180/ 0.1 |
| Natural isotope distribution( Mass No./% ) | 184/ 30.7 |
| Atomic radius - Goldschmidt( nm ) | 0.141 |
| Ionisation potential( No./eV ) | 1/ 7.98 |
| Ionisation potential( No./eV ) | 2/ 17.7 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Material condition | Soft |
| Material condition | Hard |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.28 |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.28 |
| Bulk modulus( GPa ) | 311 |
| Bulk modulus( GPa ) | 311 |
| Tensile modulus( GPa ) | 411 |
| Tensile modulus( GPa ) | 411 |
| Hardness - Vickers( kgf mm⁻² ) | 360 |
| Hardness - Vickers( kgf mm⁻² ) | 500 |
| Tensile strength( MPa ) | 550-620 |
| Tensile strength( MPa ) | 1920 |
| Yield strength( MPa ) | 550 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Electrical resistivity( µOhmcm ) | 5.4@20°C |
| Superconductivity critical temperature( K ) | 0.0154 |
| Temperature coefficient( K⁻¹ ) | 0.0048@0-100°C |
| Thermal emf against Pt (cold 0C - hot 100C)( mV ) | 1.12 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Boiling point( C ) | 5660 |
| Density( gcm⁻³ ) | 19.3@20°C |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Melting point( C ) | 3410 |
| Latent heat of evaporation( J g⁻¹ ) | 4009 |
| Latent heat of fusion( J g⁻¹ ) | 192 |
| Specific heat( J K⁻¹ kg⁻¹ ) | 133@25°C |
| Thermal conductivity( W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ ) | 173@0-100°C |
| Coefficient of thermal expansion( x10⁻⁶ K⁻¹ ) | 4.5@0-100°C |
Tolerances
| Diameter | ±10% | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | +5% / -1% |