What is tungsten used for in engineering?
Tungsten parts are typically manufactured through a powder metallurgy process. Here’s a general overview of the process:
1. Powder production: Tungsten powder is produced by reducing tungsten oxide using hydrogen or carbon at high temperatures. The resulting powder is then screened to obtain the desired particle size distribution.
2. Mixing: Mix tungsten powder with other metal powders (such as nickel or copper) to improve the properties of the material and facilitate the sintering process.
3. Compaction: The mixed powder is then pressed into the desired shape using a hydraulic press. The process applies high pressure to the powder, forming it into a green body with the desired geometry.
4. Sintering: The green body is then sintered in a high temperature furnace under controlled atmosphere conditions. During the sintering process, the powder particles bond together to form a dense and strong tungsten part.
5. Machining and finishing: After sintering, tungsten parts may undergo additional machining and finishing processes to achieve final dimensions and surface quality.
Overall, powder metallurgy processes can produce complex, high-performance tungsten parts with excellent mechanical and thermal properties.
Tungsten is typically mined using a variety of methods, including open pit and underground mining. Here is an overview of these methods:
1. Open-pit mining: In this method, large open-pit pits are dug on the surface to extract tungsten ore. Heavy equipment such as excavators and haul trucks are used to remove overburden and access the ore body. Once the ore is exposed, it is extracted and transported to processing plants for further refining.
2. Underground Mining: In underground mining, tunnels and shafts are constructed to access tungsten deposits located deep beneath the surface. Miners use specialized equipment and techniques to extract ore from underground mines. The extracted ore is then transported to the surface for processing.
Both open pit and underground mining methods can be used to extract tungsten, with the choice of method depending on factors such as the depth of the ore body, the size of the deposit and the ecoomic feasibility of the operation.
Pure tungsten is not found in nature. Instead, it is often combined with other minerals such as wolframite and scheelite. These minerals are mined and the tungsten is extracted through a series of physical and chemical processes. Extraction methods include crushing the ore, concentrating the tungsten mineral, and then further processing to obtain pure tungsten metal or its compounds. Once extracted, tungsten can be further processed and refined to produce materials for a variety of engineering applications.
