The Overview Of Metal Tungsten Powder

Wolframpulver is a grey‐black, metallic lustrous material with a body‐centred cubic crystal structure. It exhibits high hardness and a high melting point and is not oxidised by air at room temperature.

The purity of conventional tungsten powder is 99.95 %. The remaining impurities affect both the processing and the performance of the product. Among these, Ca, Mg, P, As, Si, S, Fe, Ni, Cu, Al and Mo reduce the strength of tungsten alloys, whereas K and Na promote the formation of tungsten carbide particles. V and Cr further induce continuous particle growth.

Production of Metal Tungsten Powder

Tungsten powder is categorised by average particle size into ultra‐fine, general and coarse tungsten powder.

The production process for metal tungsten powder involves the hydrogen reduction of tungsten trioxide, the hydrogen reduction of tungsten halide, the carbon reduction of tungsten oxide or tungsten salt, the thermal metal reduction of tungsten oxide or tungsten salt, and the thermal dissociation of hydroxyl compounds. The hydrogen reduction of tungsten trioxide is the most established method and is widely applied in industry.

The reduction temperature, the tungsten oxide loading, the ship’s speed, the hydrogen flow rate and the moisture content of hydrogen influence the final particle size.

Besides particle size, additional important parameters include particle shape, surface characteristics, apparent density, flowability and compressibility. When the particle shape is irregular or dendritic, the mechanical interlocking between particles increases the strength of the unsintered compact.

Applications of Metal Tungsten Powder

Tungsten powder is the principal raw material for the manufacture of powder metallurgy tungsten products and tungsten alloys.

Pure tungsten powder may be processed into wires, rods, tubes, plates and other forms.

By mixing tungsten powder with other metal powders, a range of tungsten alloys can be produced, for example tungsten–molybdenum alloy, tungsten–rhenium alloy, tungsten–copper alloy and high‐density tungsten alloy.

Another significant application of tungsten powder is the production of tungsten carbide powder, from which carbide tools are manufactured, such as turning tools, milling cutters, drills and casting moulds.

Conclusion

We thank you for reading this article and trust that it has contributed to a clearer understanding of tungsten powder. If you wish to learn more about W products, please visit Stanford Advanced Materials (SAM) for further information.

Stanford Advanced Materials (SAM) is a global supplier of tungsten products and has over 20 years' experience in the manufacture and sale of tungsten powder. The company supplies tungsten products that meet the research and production requirements of its customers. Consequently, SAM is expected to be the preferred supplier of tungsten and business partner.