Tungsten

Tungsten Latest News

Recently, the Hindustan Zinc Ltd (HZL) has received the licence to explore and mine a tungsten block in Andhra Pradesh. 

About Tungsten

• It is a chemical element with the symbol W, and atomic number 74.
• It is a naturally occurring element and classified as a transition metal.
• Major producers: China (major global producer), Vietnam, Russia, and North Korea.
• It has been classified as a Critical Mineral by the Government of India.

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Occurrence of Tungsten

• It occurs in rocks and minerals combined with other chemicals, but never as a pure metal.
• It is found in nature in mineral forms like wolframite and scheelite.

Properties of Tungsten

• It has the highest melting point of all metals at 3410 °C.
• It has the lowest vapor pressure of all metals with 4.27 Pa at 3410 °C.
• It has the highest tensile strength of all metals over 1650 °C.
• Tungsten is a solid at room temperature.
• Tungsten alloys tend to be strong and flexible, resist wear, and conduct electricity well.

Uses of Tungsten

• Tungsten is used in products such as x-ray tubes, light bulbs, high-speed tools, and welding electrodes.
• It is also used as a catalyst to speed up chemical reactions.
• Tungsten carbide is immensely hard and is very important to the metal-working, mining and petroleum industries.
• Other tungsten compounds are used in ceramic pigments, as fire retardant coatings for fabrics, and as color-resistant dyes for fabrics.

Source: TH