EFINEA Metals supplies tungsten to OEMs, industrial manufacturers, and engineering teams working in aerospace, defense, medical, electronics, and high-temperature processing. This page brings the technical data and application information for tungsten into one place, so engineers can evaluate the metal and purchasing teams can confirm specifications without moving between pages.
If you need property data beyond what is listed here, or help matching a grade and condition to a drawing, our sales engineers and metallurgists are reachable at 800-348-6268. As one of the tungsten suppliers serving high-technology industries since 1965, EFINEA stocks tungsten metal in plate, sheet, round bar, rod, and precision-cut wire.
Tungsten Properties
Engineers typically evaluate tungsten on four data sets: physical properties, mechanical properties, chemistry, and the governing specifications. The tables below summarize typical values for unalloyed tungsten. Download the EFINEA Tungsten data sheet, along with data sheets for the other refractory metals we supply, from the Data Sheets section of our Technical Library.
Typical Physical Properties
Physical properties describe how tungsten behaves as a bulk material with no load applied. Two values on this table set tungsten apart from nearly every other engineering metal. Its melting point of 3420°C (6188°F) is the highest of any metal, and its density of 19.25 g/cm³ is roughly 1.7 times that of lead and about 2.5 times that of steel.
Those numbers account for most of the applications covered later on this page.
Tungsten Typical Physical Properties | ||
|---|---|---|
| Density @ 20°C | g/cm3 | 19.25 |
| Melting Point | °F | 6188 |
| °C | 3420 | |
| Electrical Conductivity @ 20°C | S/m | 18.2 x 106 |
| Electrical Resistivity @ 20°C | (Ω·mm2)/m | 0.055 |
| Thermal Conductivity @ 20°C | W/(m·K) | 164 |
| Specific Heat @ 20°C | J/(g·K) | 0.13 |
| Coefficient of Linear Thermal Expansion @ 20°C | m/(m-K) | 4.4 |
| Source: Plansee, www.plansee.com | ||
Tungsten’s coefficient of thermal expansion is among the lowest of any pure metal, and its thermal conductivity of 164 W/(m·K) is high for a refractory metal. Together, these allow tungsten components to dissipate heat from hot zones while maintaining dimensional stability during heating and cooling.
The low expansion rate is also why tungsten seals reliably to certain hard glasses and ceramics. Electrical conductivity is sufficient for tungsten to serve as a current-carrying element in electrodes and heating elements, and its low vapor pressure at elevated temperatures prevents it from contaminating vacuum environments.
Typical Mechanical Properties
Mechanical properties indicate how tungsten will respond to load during fabrication and in service. The hardness values in this table are split by condition. Stress-relief annealed material retains the strength gained from working and shows a hardness above 460 HV 30. Recrystallized material, which has been heated past the point where a new grain structure forms, drops to approximately 360 HV 30.
When placing an order, specifying the condition is as important as specifying the dimensions, because the two behave differently in machining and in service.
Tungsten Typical Mechanical Properties | ||
|---|---|---|
| Yield Strength | MPa | 750 |
| Typical Hardness @20°C | ||
| - Stress-Relief Annealed | HV 30 (Vickers) | >460 |
| - Recrystallized | HV 30 (Vickers) | ~360 |
| Modulus of Elasticity | ksi (GPa) | 58 (405) |
| Poisson Ratio | 0.28 | |
| Source: Plansee, www.plansee.com | ||
The modulus of elasticity of 405 GPa is roughly twice that of steel, which makes tungsten one of the stiffest metals available. High stiffness is useful in tooling and in precision components that must resist deflection. Tungsten is also brittle at room temperature, so parts are generally designed with generous radii and formed at elevated temperatures. The FAQ below covers this in more detail.
Chemistry
Tungsten supplied to ASTM B760 is unalloyed with a minimum purity of 99.95%. High purity supports consistent electrical behavior and low outgassing in vacuum service.
Tungsten Chemistry |
|---|
| Minimum % 99.95 |
| Source: ASTM B760 |
Every tungsten shipment from EFINEA includes mill certifications, and chemistry can be verified with handheld XRF equipment at our warehouses when documentation traceability is a program requirement.
Specifications
The specifications below are the ones most often called out on drawings and purchase orders for unalloyed tungsten. ASTM B760 covers mill products such as plate and sheet, while ASTM F288 covers tungsten wire for electron devices and lamps.
Tungsten Specifications |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASTM B760 | ASTM F288 Type 1B | AMS 7898 / 7899 | CAS 7440-33-7 | UNS RO7005 |
For full background, the websites of ASTM International and ASM International publish the technical standards governing tungsten. If a drawing references a superseded or unfamiliar specification, contact our sales team for help with the cross-reference.
Tungsten Applications
Tungsten is chosen when an application needs one or more properties that few other metals can match: the highest melting point of any metal, very high density, a low coefficient of thermal expansion, low vapor pressure at elevated temperature, and good electrical and thermal conductivity.
The sections below cover the most common uses, along with the property that drives tungsten’s selection in each case.
High-Temperature Furnace Components
Vacuum and hydrogen-atmosphere furnaces operating above the practical limit for molybdenum rely on tungsten for heating elements, heat shields, crucibles, boats, and structural hot-zone members. Tungsten retains its shape and strength at temperatures at which most metals would soften or melt, and its low vapor pressure prevents it from contaminating the furnace atmosphere or the parts being processed.
Common furnace processes include sintering, crystal growth, brazing, and heat treating of advanced ceramics and specialty alloys.
Medical Devices
Beyond shielding, tungsten is used in medical devices that call for radiopacity, density, or both. Examples include X-ray tube components and radiation therapy equipment. Its stability in high-energy environments supports long service life in diagnostic and treatment systems.
Counterbalances and Weights
High density allows tungsten to place significant mass in a small volume. This is useful for counterbalances in aircraft control surfaces, vibration dampers, balancing weights in rotating equipment, and weights in motorsport and sporting goods.
Many weighting applications use tungsten heavy alloys, which combine tungsten with nickel-iron or nickel-copper to improve machinability and ductility. Tungsten heavy alloys are covered on our Tungsten Alloys page.
Defense and Aerospace
The hardness and density of tungsten make it the material of choice for kinetic energy penetrators and armor-piercing projectiles, where a dense, hard core concentrates force on a small area. In aerospace, tungsten appears in rocket nozzle inserts and other high-temperature components, as well as in ballast where space is limited.
Electronics and Semiconductor Processing
Tungsten’s conductivity and resistance to electromigration make it useful in semiconductor manufacturing, where it is used in contacts and interconnects and in sputtering targets for thin-film deposition. Tungsten is also used in electrical contacts that must resist arc erosion and in heat sinks and base plates, where its low thermal expansion can be matched to silicon devices.
Radiation Shielding and X-Ray Collimators
Tungsten’s density makes it an efficient absorber of X-rays and gamma radiation. Because tungsten is denser than lead, a tungsten shield can provide the same protection in less space, which matters in compact equipment such as medical imaging systems, radiotherapy collimators, isotope containers, and industrial radiography.
Tungsten collimators shape and direct radiation beams in X-ray detectors and imaging equipment, where precise geometry is required. Tungsten also has substantially lower toxicity than lead, making it a common lead replacement when handling or disposal is a concern.
Glass-to-Metal Seals
Tungsten’s low coefficient of thermal expansion closely matches that of certain borosilicate hard glasses, which allows tungsten leads and pins to be sealed directly into glass. These seals are used in lamps and vacuum tubes, as well as in electronic components, where the seal must remain hermetic during repeated heating and cooling.
Welding Electrodes
Tungsten is the standard material for gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW/TIG) and plasma arc welding electrodes because it can sustain an arc at temperatures that would consume other metals.
Pure tungsten electrodes are used for some AC welding, while tungsten alloy electrodes containing small additions of ceria, lanthanum, or zirconia improve arc starting and electrode life. Robotic and automated welding cells depend on consistent electrode chemistry to hold weld quality across long production runs.
Tungsten Wire Applications
Tungsten wire has a wide range of uses across several industries.
Common applications include lighting filaments, support structures for power tubes, vacuum heating elements, radiation shielding, medical devices, and evaporation sources for vacuum metallizing and thin-film coating. In evaporation and vacuum metallizing, tungsten coils and boats hold and heat a source material, such as aluminum, until it vaporizes and deposits onto a substrate.
EFINEA stocks tungsten precision-cut wire for these and related applications.
Why Source Tungsten from EFINEA Metals
EFINEA Metals has supplied refractory metals to high-technology industries since 1965. Our four ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D-certified facilities in New Jersey and California stock tungsten in plate, sheet, round bar, rod, and precision-cut wire, and standard stock ships within 24 hours of order confirmation.
For programs that require a tungsten alloy rather than pure tungsten, EFINEA also supplies tungsten heavy alloys, so buyers who would otherwise split orders among tungsten alloy suppliers can source both from one vendor. Every shipment includes mill certifications, and our metallurgists are available to consult on condition selection and the interpretation of specifications.
To request a quote, download the EFINEA Tungsten data sheet from our Technical Library or call 800-348-6268 to speak with a sales engineer. No order quantity is too small.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tungsten Properties and Applications
Tungsten has a ductile-to-brittle transition temperature above room temperature, typically 200°C to 400°C, depending on purity and grain structure. Below that range, tungsten is prone to cracking under impact or bending. This is why tungsten sheet is formed at elevated temperatures, why sharp corners are avoided in part design, and why recrystallized material, which has a coarser grain structure, is generally less ductile at room temperature than stress-relieved material.
Yes, though it requires appropriate technique. Tungsten is typically machined with carbide tooling and rigid setups. Grinding and electrical discharge machining (EDM) are common for tight tolerances and complex shapes. When a part requires extensive machining, a tungsten heavy alloy is often specified instead, since the alloy additions make it far easier to machine.
Yes. Tungsten begins to oxidize in air at approximately 400°C, and the oxide becomes volatile at higher temperatures. For this reason, tungsten is used at high temperatures in vacuum or in protective atmospheres such as hydrogen or argon. Components that must operate in air at elevated temperatures require protective coatings or alternative materials.
Both are refractory metals with low vapor pressure and low thermal expansion. Molybdenum is lighter and less expensive, so it is used for most furnace hardware up to roughly 1600°C to 1700°C. Tungsten is the choice when operating temperatures exceed what molybdenum can handle, since its melting point is roughly 800°C higher.
No. Tungsten carbide is a ceramic compound of tungsten and carbon, usually bonded with cobalt, and is used in cutting tools and wear parts, including dental and surgical instruments. The property data on this page applies to unalloyed tungsten metal and should not be used for carbide.
Pure tungsten is at least 99.95% tungsten and offers the highest melting point and density. Tungsten heavy alloys typically contain 90% to 97% tungsten combined with nickel-iron or nickel-copper. The alloy additions improve ductility and machinability while retaining most of the density, making heavy alloys the common choice for counterweights and radiation-shielding parts that require complex machining. Heavy alloys are not suited to the highest-temperature applications, where pure tungsten remains the correct material.
At minimum, the form, dimensions and tolerances, governing specification (such as ASTM B760 for plate and sheet) and condition (stress-relieved or recrystallized). Note any certification or testing requirements, such as chemistry verification, along with surface finish requirements if the part will go directly into service. Our sales team can review a drawing or RFQ before ordering to confirm that the material called out is appropriate for the application.
Standard stock items ship within 24 hours of order confirmation. Lead time for custom-cut material depends on the complexity of the order and the current shop workload. Your sales contact can confirm lead time at the time of the quote.
No. EFINEA serves research labs, universities, prototype shops, OEMs, and production manufacturers, and we accept orders of any size.