Tungsten
Real Metals · Uncommon · Modern
The metal of extremes: the highest melting point of any element, the highest tensile strength of any pure metal, and a density approaching that of gold. Tungsten exists at the boundaries of what materials science considers possible.
Identity
- Symbol
- W
- Atomic number
- 74
- Source
- Natural element
- Aliases
- Wolfram, W
Physical Properties
- Appearance
- Steel-grey to tin-white, extremely hard, brittle in pure form
- Luster
- Metallic
- Density
- 19.25 g/cm³
- Melting point
- 3422 °C
- Boiling point
- 5555 °C
- Lighter
- Siltgold
- Denser
- Gold
- Magnetism
- Non-magnetic
- Electrical conductivity
- Medium
Mechanical Properties
- Mohs hardness
- 7.5
- Tensile strength
- 980 MPa
- Softer
- Wootz Steel
- Harder
- Ayar
- Workability
- Difficult
- Brittleness
- Brittle
- Malleability
- Low
- Ductility
- Low
Chemical Properties
- Corrosion resistance
- very high
- Reactivity
- very low
Lore & Narrative
Tungsten's German name, Wolfram, comes from the mineral wolframite, so named because tungsten ore consumed tin during smelting 'like a wolf devours a sheep'. Its light bulb filament use made it the first metal most people ever thought about.
- Notable uses
- Light bulb filaments, cutting tools, armor-piercing ammunition, radiation shielding
- Forge uses
- cutting tools, armor-piercing, high-temperature applications
- Worldbuilding traits
- extreme, hard, high-temperature, dense
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