Tungsten

=Tungsten: (W) =

Chemical Characteristics: Tungsten could be known as a lazy metal, or an idle/inactive one. It doesn’t co  mbine w  ith oxygen at room temperatures, but however, it does rust at temperatures above 400ºC. Tungsten does not react with most acids  , but it does dissolve in nitric acid.     Physical Characteristics:  Tungsten, pure, is a steel-gray to a white color and is a very hard metal. When it's impure it's very hard to work with because it becomes very brittle. Tungsten is known as a transition metal, which is a characteristic that only some of the <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif">metallic elements have. It's an incomplete inner electron shell that has transitional links. It links the most and least electropositive series. This helps the metal form ions that contain more then just one atom (complex ions or coordination compounds). <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif"> It conducts energy/electrical current well. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif"> Boiling point: 5555 ºC <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif"> Melting point: 3422 ºC Density: 19.25 g/cm3 <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif"> *Tungsten has the highest melting point of any metal <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif"> <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; color: rgb(255, 144, 0)">Nature and Tungsten: <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif">Tungsten is found in nature, but it is usually mixed with other minerals such as calcium, iron, or manganese. It is found in plenty of places around the world, but China supplies 42% of it. The United States relies on the tungsten found in other countries because there has not been many signs of it in the soils and waters around here. Tungsten is usually mined underground or Earth's crust.

<span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; color: rgb(255, 144, 0)">Uses/Products made from element: <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif">Many types of tool steels and stainless steels are made with tungsten, along with other metals. Tungsten is used in a lot of metal work because it enhances high-temperature strength (hence the highest  <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif">melting point). The main use of tungsten in the United States is the making of cutting and wear-resistant products (  <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif">the ability of a metal to resist the gradual wearing away caused by abrasion and friction). <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif"> So many carpenters use this element and construction workers. The wire form of tungsten can be used as the filaments in fluorescent lamps/lights and also for heating elements in furnaces/heaters. Tungsten is disposed by being recycled. It has been estimated that about 30% of tungsten is recycled. They do that so they can recover any scrap or waste because it could become useful or valuable. Tungsten is usually harmless to the environment, but it is usually mixed with other elements in order to create a stronger metal or something on those terms. So in that case, they recycle because it is more "environmental friendly".

<span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; color: rgb(255, 144, 0)">Recovering/Purifying: <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif">Tungsten is refined through a series of chemical reactions. The ores of tungsten are usually first crushed and then roasted or sent through chemical reactions and washing to recover the APT. APT is later then used in the process of purifying tungsten oxide. Tungsten oxide is then cooked down to a pure powder, which is the starting point for many manufacturers in creating tungsten wire.

<span style="font-size: 90%; color: rgb(255, 144, 0); text-align: right; display: block">Alyssa B.