TUNGSTEN

Be -W- is also known as wolframite. Tungsten is a chemical element with atomic number 74. Tungsten is a steel-gray metal under standard conditions when uncombined; tungsten is found naturally on Earth only in chemical compounds. Tungsten was identified as a new element in 1781, and first isolated as a metal in 1783. It’s important ores include wolframite and scheelite. The free element is remarkable for its robustness, especially the fact that it has the highest melting point of all the non-alloyed metals and the second highest of all the elements after carbon. Also remarkable is its high density of 19.3 times that of water, comparable to that of uranium and gold, and much higher (about 1.7 times) than that of lead. Tungsten with minor amounts of impurities is often brittle and hard, making it difficult to work. However, very pure tungsten is more ductile, and can be cut with a hacksaw.