Tungsten steel is a metal alloy obtained by combining tungsten and iron. The addition of tungsten to the alloy increases its hardness and heat resistance, allowing tungsten steel parts to maintain high performance and resist wear at high temperatures. In industry, tungsten steel is valued as a tool steel and is commonly used in industrial tools and machines for working other metals such as molds and cutting tools.
The chemical element tungsten is a transition metal with atomic number 74. Its English name is Tungsten, sometimes also referred to as Wolfram, thus having the chemical symbol W. Tungsten is one of the densest and most heat-resistant chemical elements. With a melting point of 6192°F (3422°C), it has the second highest melting point of any chemical element and the second highest melting point of any pure unalloyed metal. Its density of 19.25 grams per cubic centimeter is higher than that of uranium, lead, and most transuranium elements, and tungsten also has high tensile strength.
Tungsten is a common alloying element in high speed steel (a type of tool steel) due to its hardness and heat resistance. These are alloyed tool steels that retain high hardness at high temperatures, allowing them to withstand the heat and wear that high-speed cutting tools and drills are subjected to. The tungsten content in them varies from alloy to alloy, up to 18.75%. These steels also contain carbon as well as several common elements such as molybdenum, chromium and vanadium. Smaller amounts of other elements such as copper, nickel and phosphorus are also used.
HSS tungsten steel is commonly used in the manufacture of machines such as saw blades, taps and drills. It is also sometimes used in hand tools due to its wear resistance. These include chisels, files and kitchen knives.
Tungsten is also the main alloying element in some types of hot working tool steel, a type of tool steel used in tools that must withstand prolonged exposure to high temperatures. In addition, hot work tool steels must be highly resistant to stresses caused by rapid temperature changes, known as thermal shock. Hot worked tungsten steel also typically has a higher chromium content and may also contain vanadium. It is used in equipment that handles other heated metals, such as extrusion and forging dies.
After reading the characteristics of tungsten steel, it is not difficult to understand how good tungsten steel is!