Tungsten is a rare metal that looks like steel. It has the advantages of high melting point, high hardness, excellent corrosion resistance, good electrical and thermal conductivity, and has become one of the most important functional materials in modern industry, national defense and high-tech applications. So what are the specific application areas of tungsten?
1. Alloy field
Steel
Tungsten is an important alloying element because of its high hardness and density. It can significantly improve the strength, hardness and wear resistance of steel. It is widely used in the production of various steels. Common tungsten-containing steels include high-speed steel, tungsten steel and tungsten-cobalt magnetic steel. They are mainly used to make various tools, such as drills, milling cutters, female and male molds.
Tungsten carbide-based cemented carbide
Tungsten carbide has high wear resistance and refractory properties, and its hardness is close to that of diamond, so it is often used in the production of cemented carbide. Tungsten carbide-based cemented carbides can be roughly divided into four categories: tungsten carbide-cobalt, tungsten carbide-titanium carbide-cobalt, tungsten carbide-titanium carbide-tantalum (niobium) carbide-cobalt and steel-bonded cemented carbide. They are mainly used to manufacture cutting tools, mining tools and wire drawing dies.
Wear-resistant alloys
Tungsten is a refractory metal with the highest melting point (generally above 1650℃) and has a high hardness, so it is often used to manufacture heat-resistant and wear-resistant alloys. For example, alloys of tungsten and chromium, cobalt, and carbon are often used to produce wear-resistant parts such as valves and turbine impellers of aircraft engines, while alloys of tungsten and other refractory metals (such as tantalum, niobium, molybdenum, and rhenium) are often used to produce high-heat-strength parts such as rocket nozzles and engines.
High-density alloys
Tungsten has become an ideal material for manufacturing high-density alloys due to its high density and high hardness. According to their composition characteristics and uses, these high-density alloys can be divided into W-Ni-Fe, W-Ni-Cu, W-Co, W-WC-Cu, W-Ag and other series. They are often used to manufacture contact materials such as armor, heat sinks, knife switches, and circuit breakers because of their high specific gravity, high strength, high thermal conductivity, good electrical conductivity, and excellent processing performance.