Need to Know: 7 Important Facts About Tungsten Carbide
Need to Know: 7 Important Facts About Tungsten Carbide

Need to Know: 7 Important Facts About Tungsten Carbide

Blog
Jun 09, 2017

From understanding carbide recycling materials to knowing what to do with your tungsten scrap, there is a lot of information within the tungsten market. Hopefully these facts will help you better understand the ins and outs of the tungsten industry.

These facts will help you better understand tungsten, its properties, what it’s used for, and history.

  • History — Tungsten was discovered 236 years ago in 1781, but it wasn’t until 1931 that any industry found any use for this durable metal.
  • Properties — Tungsten is shiny and can be easily processed. Though it is quite hard, tungsten can only appear as its natural form when it’s combined with mineral forms from calcium, iron, or manganese.
  • Melting point and boiling point — Tungsten’s boiling point is 10,030 degrees Fahrenheit (5,555 degrees Calvin) and its melting point, which is the highest melting point of all known metals on earth, is 6,191 degrees Fahrenheit (3,422 degrees Calvin).
  • International tungsten supply — The U.S. has a strong supply of tungsten and also purchases and recycles it quite often, but there are many other countries that are principal tungsten producing countries. Austria, Peru, Portugal, Russia, and Bolivia remain high producers. Australia, Japan, France, Sweden, Brazil, and a few more countries have seen a sharp decline in its tungsten production as mines have continued to close.
  • Recycling — Tungsten carbide recycling materials are excellent sources of cash if you come across an abundance of tungsten carbide sludge. Whether it’s carbide inserts or larger pieces of tungsten scrap, this metal is sought after by companies all around the world and would love to pay you for your carbide recycling materials.
  • Applications — Everything from television sets, tools, microwaves, jewelry, construction jobs and all kinds of industries have a use for tungsten.
  • Hardness — Tungsten carbide actually falls just behind diamonds on the Moh’s hardness scale at 8.5 to 9 on the scale (diamonds have a hardness of 10). Tungsten is actually twice the stiffness and density of steel.

Hopefully this expanded your knowledge on this popular metal. Whether you’re looking to purchase, recycle, or just learn more about tungsten, contact Tungco today!

Need to Know: 7 Important Facts About Tungsten Carbide