Everything You Need to Know About 3D Printing with Tungsten

Tungsten has emerged as a pivotal material in the 3D metal printing industry. Intensive research in recent years has focused on maximizing its potential. With continuous advancements in tungsten applications for additive manufacturing, a significant breakthrough was achieved in 2020, overcoming longstanding issues of brittleness and micro-cracking during production. In 2021, a new process for creating tungsten-nickel-iron alloys was developed, further expanding its utility. Additionally, tungsten shows promise in fusion energy, where it can endure the extreme temperatures and conditions of fusion reactors, potentially meeting future energy needs. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of this versatile heavy metal.

Properties of Tungsten

The name “tungsten” comes from the Swedish term for “heavy stone,” reflecting its status as the heaviest technical metal. Tungsten is a refractory, shiny white material with a 19.25 g/cm³ density and can become brittle even with slight contamination. It also has the highest melting point of all metals, at 3,410°C, and a boiling point of 5,700°C, making it ideal for use in light bulbs.

Tungsten in its pure form. (Photo Credits: ©vvoe – stock.adobe.com)

In its pure form, tungsten is either very soft or brittle, and it is almost always combined with other elements to form alloys known for their hardness. The most well-known alloy is tungsten carbide, a mixture of tungsten and carbon that creates a ceramic composite material. Other combinations include high-speed steel and alloys with cobalt, copper, bronze, chromium, iron, or nickel. Tungsten is also a component of the nickel-molybdenum-chromium superalloy Hastelloy. In all cases, these alloys result in rigid materials.