Pure tungsten

Pure tungstenis a hard metal ranging in color from steel gray to pewter white. It can be cut with a hacksaw when it is very pure, but it is brittle and difficult to work with when impure, and is normally processed by forging, extrusion, or drawing. This element has the highest melting point (3,422°C) of any metal and the highest tensile strength of any metal at temperatures above 1,650°C; its Young’s modulus is 406 GPa. Because of its very high melting point, tungsten is not cast but sintered. Its corrosion resistance is excellent, and it is only slightly affected by mineral acids.

Tungsten has a wide range of applications.The hardness and densityof this metal make it ideal for metal alloys used in weaponry, heat sinks, as well as weights and counterweights.
Since its coefficient of thermal expansion is equivalent to that of borosilicate glass, it is used for glass-to-metal brazing (electrodes, electrical connections).

Tungsten-containing superalloys are used to make turbine blades, steel tools, and cladding.

It is used as a refractory electrode in TIG welding.
The arc contacts in high-voltage circuit breakers are also partially made of tungsten to withstand the high temperatures of an electric arc.

The mining and oil industries, as well as the defense and electrical industries, use tungsten in its pure form or as an alloy.