Tungsten & Tungsten Alloys
Materials with Unique Properties

Tungsten – physical and mechanical properties

Tungsten Compared with Other Metals

Tungsten stands out thanks to its exceptional properties. Its melting point of 3,422 degrees Celsius makes it far superior to metals such as steel (1,500 °C) and titanium (1,668 °C). This enormous stability is due to the strong bonds in its atomic structure. Tungsten metal is often used as a substitute for lead, for example for protection against radioactive radiation. Its suitability as a shielding material is reflected in its high atomic number of 74 in the periodic table, as the shielding effect of metals increases with rising atomic number and material density.

With an atomic mass of 183.84 u, it is one of the heaviest metals. It is ideal for special operating conditions, such as in heating elements and tungsten plates, which operate reliably in electronics and aviation at high temperatures and under mechanical loads.

Industrial Use of Tungsten Alloys in Toolmaking, Aviation and Electronics

Tungsten alloys are used wherever components are exposed to unusual conditions, to guarantee resistance to heat, radiation and pressure:

• TIG welding electrodes and resistance welding electrodes
• Electronic components for high-performance circuits
• Flash lamps for water sterilisation and electron tubes
• Engine parts and structural components in aerospace
• Radiation shielding material in X-ray and CT equipment in medical technology
• Cutting tools and drills

Tungsten alloys are even used in the manufacture of jewellery because they are extremely robust and scratch-resistant – but that is an entirely different field of application.

Advantages of Tungsten Alloys over Other Materials

Tungsten alloys based on tungsten carbide offer greater resistance to heat and wear than steel, titanium or molybdenum alloys. Compared with steel, tungsten alloys have a significantly higher melting point and withstand temperatures that steel alloys cannot cope with. Although titanium alloys offer corrosion resistance and low weight, they cannot bear mechanical loads as well as tungsten.

Compared with molybdenum alloys, tungsten shows superior dimensional stability in high-temperature environments, making it irreplaceable for special applications in electronics, toolmaking and aviation.

One example of an innovative tungsten alloy is TUNGSTIT®. This composite material, produced by powder metallurgy, combines the heat resistance of tungsten with the high electrical conductivity of copper. The combination results in significantly higher arc erosion resistance than pure copper – ideal for contacts and electrodes.

The longevity and wear resistance of tungsten alloys reduce maintenance effort and costs. This enables considerable savings and greater energy efficiency, particularly in high-performance applications such as aviation or toolmaking.

Technical Challenges and Solutions in Machining Tungsten

Tungsten is difficult to machine owing to its brittleness, strength and high melting point. This combination makes cutting, milling and turning pure tungsten particularly demanding, as conventional tools wear quickly under the high load.

To machine tungsten, we use high-strength cutting tools made of tungsten carbide or CBN, which ensure a longer tool life and enable precise machining results. CNC technologies are used to machine even complex geometries accurately. High-pressure water-based coolants reduce friction and extend tool life. The combination of optimised tools and coolants makes it possible to work economically even with difficult materials such as tungsten and tungsten alloys.

Best Practices at Wolfram Industrie for High Quality

We develop and produce high-quality welding electrodes that are specially designed for joining under demanding conditions. Thanks to the special properties of tungsten, these electrodes help to create stable and durable joints – even under strongly fluctuating temperatures.

Our production starts as early as the processing of the tungsten powder, which enables us to respond specifically to customer requirements. This approach makes it easier for us to select the right material for each application and gives us more scope to develop solutions together with our customers that are perfectly suited to the task at hand. Our product quality rests on three components: people, experience and time. Thanks to the knowledge built up over many decades and the specialist experience of our employees, we achieve finer microstructures than industrial standard values would lead one to expect. This is how we achieve longer-lasting applications.

Sustainable Use of Tungsten Through Resource Responsibility and Environmental Protection

Tungsten is a valuable metal whose recycling both conserves resources and reduces the consumption of raw materials. We rely on sustainable processes and conflict-free material sourcing to reduce the environmental impact of conventional tungsten extraction. The negative effects are continuously reduced through the further development of recycling methods in cooperation with our suppliers.

Recycling is an integral part of our production and ensures efficient use of resources. With recycling electrodes, companies reduce their environmental impact while increasing their cost efficiency. Wolfram Industrie also offers an electrode regrinding service that extends the service life of the electrodes and thus saves even more raw materials.

Compared with less recyclable metals such as aluminium or titanium, tungsten therefore offers significant environmental benefits and helps to minimise the environmental impact of material sourcing.

Environmentally Friendly Aspects of Tungsten Production

At Wolfram Industrie, metals are sourced in powder form and conflict-free, in accordance with EU Regulation 2017/821. We follow the OECD guidelines for the responsible handling of raw materials and verify that sources are both secure and sustainable. In addition, we regularly evaluate new ways of reducing our ecological footprint in order to make our entire production process even more environmentally friendly. Our production guarantees environmentally compatible processing methods and compliance with international human rights standards.

Our responsibility for the environment goes beyond recycling and sourcing:

• With our new building in Nußdorf, we have created the infrastructure to recover process heat from production. Reusing it significantly improves our energy efficiency.
• A PV system on our roofs is currently being planned by a regional partner. It will generate green hydrogen, which will be fed directly into production as a process gas.

“Produced locally, consumed locally” is our approach. We prefer to source machines and spare parts for repairs from companies in the region. Close cooperation on site strengthens small and medium-sized enterprises and reduces our CO₂ footprint thanks to short transport routes.

We also rely on responsibility and transparency when sourcing difficult raw materials. We obtain these materials through our stable, long-established network, which guarantees transparency and ethically sound procurement processes. While tungsten is sourced globally because of where it occurs naturally, our suppliers are based regionally. This enables us to maintain high overall standards in the quality of the starting material and in sustainability through responsible sourcing.

Current Trends and Price Drivers

Tungsten prices fluctuate considerably due to several factors. The most important include global demand in high-tech industries such as electronics, aviation and medical technology, as well as geopolitical developments and trade conditions. In particular, China’s influence as one of the largest producers and exporters of tungsten has a strong impact on market availability. Raw material shortages and trade restrictions also contribute to these price fluctuations. The tungsten market is expected to grow by more than 8 per cent in the coming years, with Asia-Pacific being the largest market region.

We are able to keep our prices stable in the long term because we specifically offset price fluctuations with this combination:

• Through decades of process engineering and the results of in-house research and development, we keep the costs of our production processes low.
• Our conservative procurement strategy avoids short-term fluctuations, as we do not buy on the spot market.
• With our new building in Nußdorf, we have created the necessary storage capacity for raw materials to make us less dependent on fluctuating market conditions.

This long-term resourcing strategy gives our customers financial predictability.

Secure Sourcing and Strategies for a Reliable Supply at Wolfram Industrie

Through certified procurement processes, Wolfram Industrie ensures that the highest standards of quality and sustainability are met. Our supply chain – from development and manufacturing through to the processing and distribution of tungsten and tungsten alloys – is certified to ISO 9001:2015. This allows us to provide consistently high quality and the continuous availability of our tungsten products.

To avoid bottlenecks, we rely on long-term partnerships with competent suppliers and efficient inventory management. Sufficient storage capacity enables us to maintain material availability even in the event of unforeseen disruptions. For every customer requirement, a batch starting from the powder stage is always available on call. Our procurement strategies also take into account potential supply risks such as delays at the Panama Canal or other logistical challenges. These measures minimise the risk of supply failures and strengthen our customers’ confidence in a stable global supply.

Tungsten and tungsten alloys not only offer exceptional properties such as heat resistance and strength. They also allow consistent quality in product manufacturing, which we safeguard with strict testing procedures and certifications. Combining this with decades of specialist knowledge and detail-conscious manufacturing methods, we, as a development and production company, guarantee reliable material performance, even under extreme operating conditions.

In view of volatile raw material prices, Wolfram Industrie relies on a conservative procurement policy, sufficient storage capacity and long-term cooperation with regional partner companies to ensure stable prices and support our customers’ financial planning. Wherever possible, we rely on secure and sustainable sourcing of raw materials. Through recycling and the use of conflict-free materials, we reduce the ecological footprint of companies that depend on tungsten.

Reliable supply chains and our technical expertise from 4 generations of tungsten production enable us to master every challenge in the manufacture and machining of tungsten metal. Tungsten remains the optimum choice for applications that place unusual demands on material resistance, sustainability and long-term availability at realistic prices.