It has a high density, which is 19.3 times that of water. It is a strong metal, quite dense and of very high hardness, difficult to melt, ductile and silvery-white in color.
This metal appears in nature in combination with others in its ores, it is possible to find it on earth only in this way. It is mainly used in steel alloys and in the filaments of incandescent lamps. It has a pin point which is the highest of all unalloyed metals and after carbon it is the highest of all elements.
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Simplified Electron configuration of Tungsten
According to their Electron configuration, these are distributed as follows:
- 2 electrons orbiting 1s
- 2 electrons in 2s orbit
- 6 electrons in 2p orbit
- 2 electrons in 3s orbit
- 6 electrons in 3p orbit
- 10 electrons in 3d orbit
- 2 electrons in 4s orbit
- 6 electrons in 4p orbit
- 10 electrons in 4d orbit
- 2 electrons orbiting 5s
- 6 electrons in 5p orbit
- 14 electrons orbiting 4f
- 4 electrons in 5d orbit
- 2 electrons in 6s orbit
Tungsten isotopes
This metal has four stable isotopes, which are 182W, 183W, 184W, and 186W, and it also has one that has an extremely long half-life, which is 180W, corresponding to 1.8 ± 0.2 Exa-years, i.e. 1018 years. .
Get Tungsten or Wolfram
This element is easily obtained in a pure state by metallurgy, however, its high melting point complicates the processing of the final product. It is possible to work it by forging, sintering, stamping and also by extrusion. It is obtained from various minerals, such as scheelite (CaWO4), wolframite ((Fe;Mn) WO4), stolzite (PbWO4), among others.
Wolfram is the only one of the metals that make up the third transition series found in biomolecules and of all the elements used by living beings it is the one that has the most weight.
Effects of Tungsten on health and the environment
- Tungsten powder, according to studies, when given to animals that have been treated intravenously or orally, is not completely inert, causing anorexia, lack of coordination in their movements, weight loss and colic.
- In human health, it can cause eye irritation, causing tearing and redness and irritating the skin, on contact. May irritate lungs and mucous membranes after inhalation. It can cause inflammation in the face, so those working in the industry where this metal is handled should use the required protective equipment as a precaution.
- Tungsten does not have the ability to cause chronic effects in humans, but constant, long-term exposure to this element can aggravate medical conditions.
- All metal compounds are considered to have a high level of toxicity and, in the event of a fire or explosion, their dust is a hazard. Concerning the environment, there is to date no trace indicating that this element represents a danger.
Tungsten Applications
Because this element weighs nearly three times that of iron, twice as much as lead, and weighs nearly as much as gold, its ingots are used to replace gold bullion.
When it didn’t yet have a name, this metal was known as mighty lapis, which means heavy stone in Latin. Tungsten is also used in cell phone vibrators, in ball point pens, for fishing tackle and also in the tips of darts used professionally. In addition, this metal, due to its characteristics of great hardness and its high level of density, is regularly used to manufacture balls.