{"id":92,"date":"2020-04-08T15:03:09","date_gmt":"2020-04-08T15:03:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thechemicalelements.com\/?page_id=92"},"modified":"2023-08-16T09:37:59","modified_gmt":"2023-08-16T09:37:59","slug":"tungsten","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thechemicalelements.com\/tungsten\/","title":{"rendered":"Tungsten (W)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Tungsten is a chemical element with the atomic number 74 in the periodic table. It\u2019s the strongest naturally occurring metal in the world. Element 47 is one of the rarer elements found in Earth\u2019s crust, with an abundance of 1.5 parts per million. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being a member of the transition metals family of periodic table elements, this exceptionally strong refractory metal has three valence electrons. It is widely used for its hardness, stability, high melting point, as well as its strong anticorrosive properties.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chemical and Physical Properties of Tungsten<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Property<\/strong><\/td>Value<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Symbol<\/td>W<\/td><\/tr>
Name<\/td>Tungsten<\/td><\/tr>
Atomic Number<\/td>74<\/td><\/tr>
Atomic Weight<\/td>183.85 g.mol-1<\/td><\/tr>
Group<\/td>6 (Transition metals)<\/td><\/tr>
Period<\/td>6<\/td><\/tr>
Color<\/td>A lustrous silvery-white metal<\/td><\/tr>
Physical State<\/td>Solid at room temperature<\/td><\/tr>
Half-life<\/td>From 1.37(17) milliseconds to 1.8(0.2)\u00d710\u00b9\u2078 years<\/td><\/tr>
Electronegativity<\/td>1.7<\/td><\/tr>
Density<\/td>19.3 g.cm-3 at 20\u00b0C<\/td><\/tr>
Melting Point<\/td>3414\u00b0C, 6177\u00b0F, 3687 K<\/td><\/tr>
Boiling Point<\/td>5555\u00b0C, 10031\u00b0F, 5828 K<\/td><\/tr>
Van der Waals Radius<\/td>0.137 nm<\/td><\/tr>
Ionic Radius<\/td>0.068 nm (+4); 0.067 nm (+6)<\/td><\/tr>
Isotopes<\/td>33<\/td><\/tr>
Most Characteristic Isotope<\/td>182W, 184W, 186W<\/td><\/tr>
Electronic Shell<\/td>[Xe] 4f\u00b9\u2074 5d\u2074 6s\u00b2<\/td><\/tr>
The Energy of the First Ionization<\/td>768.6 kJ.mol-1<\/td><\/tr>
The Energy of the Second Ionization<\/td>N\/A<\/td><\/tr>
Discovery Date<\/td>1783<\/td><\/tr>
Discovered By<\/td>Juan and Fausto Elhuyar<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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In the periodic table, tungsten is classified under the symbol W, atomic number 74, atomic mass of 183.85 g.mol<\/span>-1<\/span>, and electron configuration [Xe] 4f<\/span>14<\/span> 5d<\/span>4<\/span> 6s<\/span>2<\/span>, pure tungsten is an extremely hard, ductile, and dense silvery-white lustrous metal. It reaches its boiling point at 5555\u00b0C, 10031\u00b0F, 5828 K, while the melting point is achieved at 3414\u00b0C, 6177\u00b0F, 3687 K. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This chemical element has the highest melting points and the highest tensile strength of all metals classified in the periodic table. As a member of the transition metals family of elements in the periodic table, tungsten has an electronegativity of 1.7 according to Pauling, whereas the atomic radius according to van der Waals is 0.137 nm. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tungsten is an exceptionally dense element, even denser than gold<\/a>. It\u2019s also one of the five major refractory metals, together with molybdenum<\/a>, niobium<\/a>, tantalum<\/a>, and rhenium<\/a>. When exposed to air, tungsten metal tarnishes and forms a protective oxide coating.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How Was Tungsten Discovered?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The two Spanish chemists and brothers Juan Jos\u00e9 and Fausto Elhuyar are credited as the first discoverers of element 74. They succeeded in isolating tungsten by reduction of acidified wolframite with charcoal in 1783.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prior to their discovery, the Irish chemist and mineralogist Peter Woulfe (1727\u20131803) observed an unfamiliar substance during his analysis of the mineral wolframite. In 1781, the German-Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele (1742-1786) successfully isolated tungstic oxide (WO3) by performing chemical analysis on the mineral scheelite (calcium<\/a> tungstate). Sheele\u2019s discovery later traced the root to the discovery of a new metal for Juan and Fausto Elhuyar.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How Did Tungsten Get Its Name?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are two names in use of element 74 – <\/span>tungsten<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>wolfram<\/span><\/i>. Both names have been around since its discovery. The name \u2018<\/span>tungsten<\/span><\/i>\u2019 originates from the Swedish words \u2018<\/span>tung sten<\/span><\/i>\u2019 that mean \u2018<\/span>heavy stone<\/span><\/i>\u2019, while the name \u2018<\/span>wolframite\/wolfram<\/span><\/i>\u2019 is derived from the German phrase \u2018<\/span>wolf ram<\/span><\/i>\u2019, meaning \u2018<\/span>wolf dirt<\/span><\/i>\u2019. In the periodic table, element 74 has the Swedish name <\/span>tungsten<\/span><\/i> but is classified under the chemical symbol W (the first letter of its german name).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Origin of the Name \u2018Wolfram\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

During the middle ages, German miners of tin were often complaining about a mineral that was occurring alongside the tin ores. It was the wolframite mineral that was substituting part of the mined tin ore in the mining process, thus reducing the yield of tin. Due to the physical appearance of wolframite, the minders started referring to it as \u2018a wolf that eats their tin ore\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Origin of the Name \u2018Tungsten\u2019<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The mineral scheelite was discovered in 1750 in Sweden. The miners employed to excavate iron<\/a> from this Swedish mine were intrigued by the hardness and density of this mineral, which is why they called it \u2018a heavy stone\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Where Can You Find Tungsten?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Known since prehistoric times, element 47 has been created in the Universe by the explosion of massive stars and dispersed on our planet with a speed that amounts to 10% of the speed of light. The list of tungsten-rich minerals that occur in the Earth\u2019s crust includes the following items:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n