What Is Tungsten Definition Atomic Number Properties and Applications
Tungsten is a type of chemical element that has a symbol W and an atomic number 74. Tungsten element is amongst the rare metals that are occurring naturally on the Earth and is almost exclusively combined with several other elements in the chemical compounds rather than being alone. It was identified as a newer element in the year 1781 and was first isolated as a metal in the year 1783. Its important ores are wolframite and scheelite. Tungsten has many alloys that have numerous applications which include the incandescent light bulb filaments, X-ray tubes (as both the filament and target), the electrodes in the gas tungsten arc welding, the superalloys, and radiation shielding. Tungsten's hardness and high density also give it some military applications in the penetrating projectiles. Tungsten compounds are also used often as the industrial catalysts. In this article, we will learn about tungsten in detail which includes the tungsten melting point, boiling point, tungsten uses, tungsten properties, and the applications of tungsten.
What is Tungsten?
Tungsten is also known as wolfram, and along with Cr and Mo, it belongs to group 6 of the periodic table. The element tungsten has the atomic number of 74 and the atomic mass of 184. Its two main oxidation states are +4 & +6 and it has five different stable isotopes that are 180 W, 182 W, 183 W, 184 W, and 186 W amongst which 182 W, 184 W, and 186 W are found to be the most abundant at 26.498%, 30.64%, and 28.426% respectively.
Tungsten is much similar to molybdenum chemically and its chemistry is one the most complex amongst the transition elements.
Tungsten is a rare element and has a crystal abundance of around 1.0–1.5 mg kg-1 which is similar to that of its neighbouring elements present in the periodic table, molybdenum.
Tungsten is a strong lithophile element, even though it is a siderophile in the iron meteorites and is markedly less chalcophile than the element molybdenum.
Apart from the sulfides, the element occurs as the W⁴⁺ cation in the rare mineral tungstenite.
Tungsten also has essentially anionic geochemistry which is based on the tungstate WO₄²⁻ ion, wherein the W₆⁺ ion is present in the four- or six-fold coordination.
Let us now look at the physical properties of tungsten and the chemical properties of tungsten in detail.
Properties of Tungsten
Tungsten Uses
Some of the applications of tungsten are as follows:
Tungsten is an economically important metal which is being widely used in the light-bulb filaments, electron and television tubes, several abrasives and special alloys just as steels tool.
Tungsten carbide has a great importance in the metal-works, mining and petroleum industries. Contamination from these sources is therefore possible in industrial and urban areas.
Evidence for the significant biological role for tungsten is not much, which is in contrast to molybdenum, that is an essential trace element, although some minor concentrations in some plants suggest a specialized function that perhaps substitutes molybdenum if there is a deficiency.
There is a limited ecotoxicity data available that anything higher than the trace amounts of tungsten in solution is usually considered to be toxic.
Effects of Tungsten
Since tungsten is a rare metal and its compounds are usually inert, the effects of tungsten on the environment are much limited. The abundance of tungsten in the crust of the Earth is known to be around 1.5 parts per million. It is one of the more rare elements that is found on Earth.
Tungsten was at first believed to be a relatively inert element and an only slightly toxic metal, but at the beginning of the year 2000, the risk presented by the tungsten alloys, its dust and particulates to lead to cancer and several other adverse effects in animals as well as humans have been known from the in vitro and in the vivo experiments. The median lethal dose LD50 is dependant strongly on the animals and the method of administration and varies between 59 mg/kg in intravenous, rabbits and 5000 mg/kg in the tungsten metal powder, intraperitoneal rats. People can be exposed to tungsten even in the workplace by breathing it in, swallowing it, skin contact, and eye contact.
FAQs on Tungsten Element Properties Structure and Uses
1. What is tungsten in chemistry?
Tungsten is a chemical element with the symbol W and atomic number 74, known for having the highest melting point of all metals. It is a dense, hard, grayish metal classified as a transition metal in Group 6 of the periodic table.
- Atomic number: 74
- Symbol: W (from "Wolfram")
- Block: d-block element
- Common oxidation states: +6, +4
2. Why does tungsten have such a high melting point?
Tungsten has a very high melting point (about 3422°C) because of its extremely strong metallic bonding between tungsten atoms. The strength arises from:
- High number of valence electrons contributing to bonding
- Strong overlap of d-orbitals in the crystal lattice
- Very compact atomic packing
3. What is the electron configuration of tungsten?
The ground-state electron configuration of tungsten (W) is [Xe] 4f14 5d4 6s2. This means:
- It has a xenon noble gas core
- 14 electrons in the 4f subshell
- 4 electrons in the 5d subshell
- 2 electrons in the 6s subshell
4. What are the common oxidation states of tungsten?
The most common oxidation state of tungsten is +6, although +4 and +5 also occur. In chemical compounds:
- +6 is found in tungsten(VI) oxide, WO3
- +4 appears in tungsten(IV) oxide, WO2
- Lower oxidation states may occur in coordination complexes
5. What is tungsten carbide and what is its formula?
Tungsten carbide is a hard compound of tungsten and carbon with the formula WC. It is formed by reacting tungsten metal with carbon at high temperature:
- Example reaction: W(s) + C(s) → WC(s)
6. How is tungsten extracted from its ore?
Tungsten is extracted mainly from the ores wolframite and scheelite by converting them into tungsten(VI) oxide and then reducing it. The key chemical steps are:
- Concentration of ore
- Conversion to WO3
- Reduction with hydrogen gas:
- Purification of tungsten powder
7. What are the physical properties of tungsten?
Tungsten is a dense, hard, and heat-resistant metal with exceptional thermal stability. Its key physical properties include:
- Melting point: about 3422°C
- Boiling point: about 5555°C
- Density: about 19.3 g/cm3
- Color: grayish-white
8. How does tungsten react with oxygen?
Tungsten reacts with oxygen at high temperatures to form tungsten(VI) oxide, WO3. The balanced chemical equation is:
- 2W(s) + 3O2(g) → 2WO3(s)
9. What is the difference between tungsten and wolfram?
Tungsten and wolfram refer to the same chemical element, but the names have different origins.
- Tungsten comes from Swedish meaning “heavy stone.”
- Wolfram is derived from the mineral wolframite.
- The chemical symbol W comes from “Wolfram.”
10. What are the main uses of tungsten in chemistry and industry?
Tungsten is mainly used in high-temperature applications due to its high melting point and strength. Important uses include:
- Filaments in incandescent lamps (historically)
- Production of tungsten carbide (WC) for cutting tools
- Alloys for high-speed steel
- Catalysts and inorganic compounds like WO3
