Tungsten Tech Report
Overview
Tungsten is a transition metal. The transition metals are a group of elements found in the middle of the periodic table. They occupy the boxes in Rows 4 through 7 between Groups 2 and 13. The periodic table is a chart that shows how chemical elements are related to one another.
These metals have very similar physical and chemical properties. One of tungsten's unusual properties is its very high melting point of 3,410°C (6,170°F). This is the highest melting point of any metal. Another of its important properties is its ability to retain its strength at very high temperatures. These properties account for tungsten's primary application, the manufacture of alloys. An alloy is made by melting and mixing two or more metals. The mixture has properties different from those of the individual metals.

SYMBOL
W

ATOMIC NUMBER
74

ATOMIC MASS
183.85

FAMILY
Group 6 (VIB)
Transition metal

Physical properties
Tungsten is a hard brittle solid whose color ranges from steel-gray to nearly white. Its melting point is the highest of any metal, 3,410°C (6,170°F) and its boiling point is about 5,900°C (10,600°F). Its density is about 19.3 grams per cubic centimeter. Tungsten conducts electrical current very well.

Chemical properties
Tungsten is a relatively inactive metal. It does not combine with oxygen at room temperatures. It does corrode (rust) at temperatures above 400°C (700°F. It does not react very readily with acids, although it does dissolve in nitric acid or aqua regia. Aqua regia is a mixture of hydrochloric and nitric Tungsten samples. acids. It often reacts with materials that do not react with either acid separately.