Tungsten (Latin of Wolframium) received the name from the German Wolf — a wolf and Rahm — cream ("wolf foam"). For a long time for this metal could not find practical application. Only since the end of the 19th century from it began to make tungsten became and also various solid alloys.
Tungsten is the metal having light gray color. In periodic Mendeleev's system it possesses the 74th serial number. Chemical element is refractory. It contains 5 stable isotopes in the structure.
Chemical properties of tungsten
The chemical firmness of tungsten on air and in water is rather high. When heating, chemical element is subject to oxidation. The more temperature, the is higher the speed of oxidation of chemical element. At a temperature exceeding 1000 °C, tungsten begins to evaporate. At the room temperature royalof vodka, hydrochloric, sulfuric, fluoric and nitric acids cannot have any effect on tungsten. Mix of nitric and fluoric acids dissolve tungsten. Neither in liquid, nor in a firm state tungsten does not mix up with gold, silver, sodium, copper, lithium. Also there is no interaction to zinc, magnesium, calcium, mercury. Tungsten is soluble in tantalum and niobium, and with chrome and molybdenum can form solutions both in firm, and in liquid state.
Use of tungsten
Apply tungsten in the modern industry as in pure form, and in alloys. Tungsten belongs to durable metals. Often alloys, having tungsten in structure, apply to production of blades of turbines and valves of aircraft engines. Also this chemical element found the application for production of various details in X-ray engineering and radio electronics. Tungsten is used for threads of electrolamps. Chemical compounds of tungsten found the practical application recently. Heteropoly acid phosphorus-tungsten is used by production of the bright paints and varnishes steady on light. Tungstates of rare-earth elements, alkaline-earth metals and cadmium are applied to production of the shining paints and production of lasers. Today traditional wedding rings from gold began to replace with products from other metals. The popularity was gained by wedding rings from tungsten carbide. Such products differ in high durability. Mirror polishing of a ring does not grow dull over time. The product will keep the initial state for all term of use. Tungsten is used in the form of the alloying additive for steel. It gives to steel durability and hardness at high temperature. Thus, the tools manufactured of tungsten steel have ability to maintain very intensive processes of metal working.