Why is tungsten important?
Tungsten metal is a chemical element with a wide range of daily uses. It is usually referred to by its Latin name Wolfram, its chemical symbol is W, and its atomic number is 74. Tungsten is a member of the transition metal in the periodic table. It is in the same column as chromium and molybdenum, so in the pure metal state, it has a wide range of useful properties. Tungsten is one of the most outstanding metals. It has the highest melting point of any element yet to be discovered-as well as extremely high density and resistance to corrosion and thermal deformation. It can also be easily combined with other metals to form alloys and carbides. Because of these special characteristics, tungsten metal has applications in almost every industry, from jewelry and sports to surgical instruments, aerospace engineering, high-speed tools, nuclear shielding, alloys and compounds, chemical applications, and electronics. Tungsten is now also involved in the research of nanowires...