Tungsten Powder – For Developing Hi Tech Applications!

Tungsten powder | Image Resource : stanfordmaterials.com

Tungsten has turned out to be a rare source of metal mineral due to its irreplaceable uses and specific properties. Being one of the key mineral resources that China exports worldwide, Tungsten has developed a certain strategic importance by proving it to be a dominant mineral resource.

The electric power industry, information industry, petrochemical industry, equipment manufacturing, aerospace, iron and steel industry and the field of military needs utilize Tungsten and the alloys it offers in a variety of ways. For developing high-tech applications, national defenses and the modern industry, tungsten carbide acts as a quality raw material in tools and blades. It plays a crucial role in the national economy of China.

Properties and Standard of Tungsten Powder

Tungsten metal powder has to maintain a specific range of oxygen content besides controlling certain necessities for impurity content. The particles attain a polygonal shape and sizes of 2~10 μm. There’s a certain limit for the tap density, bulk density and surface area of this powder.

The process of producing Tungsten materials has directly been influenced by the properties of Tungsten powder. Likewise the size of grain and purity are also affected by the quality of this powder, which is a product of metallurgical process. A number of issues, grain size and purity are the key factors that help tungsten powder suppliers in classifying it.

An American company developed this powder for the first time by dividing tungsten with hydrogen reduction through three distinct levels on the basis of chemical purity. Japan has set a specific industry standard for the production of this powder and its carbide counterpart. This was soon to be followed by nations like France, Britain and the Soviet Union by maintaining uniformity through national production standards.

By 1982, China had set the hydrogen reduction technical conditions for producing this powder. Apart from setting specific needs for storage, packing, acceptance rules, transportation and testing methods, such standards stipulate classifying tungsten as per grades and its properties. Counting upon the user needs, the tungsten production trial can be processed by manufacturers, especially those that are meant for military and special purposes.