High-Purity Tungsten Rod
- Highest melting point among all metals — 3,422°C for extreme thermal stability
- High purity W ≥ 99.95% (W1 grade) with density 19.25 g/cm³
- Extremely low vapor pressure at high temperatures — ideal for vacuum applications
- Available in multiple grades: W1, W2, WAL1, WAL2, W-Re alloy
- Diameter range: 0.5 – 100.0mm, length: up to 2,000mm
- Surface finishes: black (as-sintered), alkali-washed, ground, turned, polished
- Compliant with ASTM B760
Description Of High-Purity Tungsten Rod
High-Purity Tungsten Rod is a fundamental semi-finished product manufactured from high-purity tungsten metal with a minimum tungsten content of 99.95%. Through powder metallurgy, high-temperature sintering (above 2,000°C), and subsequent thermo-mechanical processing such as forging, rolling, or swaging, tungsten rods achieve near-theoretical density and a fine-grained microstructure. They represent one of the most basic and versatile engineering forms in the tungsten materials family, serving both as feedstock for downstream tungsten products and as functional components in extreme high-temperature environments.
Tungsten rods inherit the exceptional physical properties of tungsten itself. With a melting point of approximately 3,422°C — the highest among all metals — tungsten rods can withstand extreme temperatures without softening or deformation. The material offers a density of 19.25 g/cm³, excellent thermal and electrical conductivity, a low coefficient of thermal expansion (4.5×10⁻⁶/K), and extremely low vapor pressure at elevated temperatures, making it non-contaminating in high-vacuum environments.
Tungsten rods are available in a wide range of diameters — typically from 0.5mm to 100mm — with round or square cross-sections. Various surface finishes are offered to suit different applications, including black (as-sintered), alkali-washed/chemically cleaned, ground (centerless ground), turned, and polished. The material can be further processed through machining, grinding, or EDM to produce precision components.
Features Of High-Purity Tungsten Rod
Highest Melting Point: With a melting point of approximately 3,422°C — the highest among all metals — tungsten rods can withstand extreme temperatures without melting or deformation.
High Purity: Manufactured from tungsten with purity ≥99.95% (W1 grade), ensuring consistent performance and minimal contamination. Ultra-high purity grades (99.99%–99.999%) are available for specialized applications.
High Density: Tungsten rods offer a density of 19.25 g/cm³ — nearly double that of molybdenum and 1.7 times that of lead — providing excellent mechanical strength and radiation shielding capabilities.
Excellent High-Temperature Strength: Tungsten maintains exceptional mechanical strength and creep resistance at elevated temperatures, ensuring structural integrity and long service life in demanding thermal environments.
Low Coefficient of Thermal Expansion: The low thermal expansion coefficient (4.5×10⁻⁶/K) minimizes warping and distortion when exposed to temperature changes, ensuring dimensional stability.
Low Vapor Pressure: Tungsten's extremely low vapor pressure at high temperatures ensures minimal evaporation and contamination in vacuum applications.
Good Electrical and Thermal Conductivity: Tungsten rods offer excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, making them suitable for electrode and heat management applications.
Corrosion Resistance: Tungsten is highly resistant to chemical corrosion and shows excellent resistance to corrosion from deposited metals such as Al, Ni, and Cr.
Multiple Surface Finishes: Available in black (as-sintered), alkali-washed (chemically cleaned), ground (centerless ground), turned, and polished finishes to meet specific application requirements.
Applications Of High-Purity Tungsten Rod
TIG Welding Electrodes: Tungsten rods are the primary raw material for manufacturing TIG (GTAW) welding electrodes. The rods are processed through swaging, annealing, and precision grinding to produce non-consumable electrodes with various rare earth oxide dopants (thoriated, lanthanated, ceriated, etc.). TIG welding is widely used in automotive, aerospace, and construction industries for precision welding of stainless steel, aluminum, titanium alloys, and other metals.
High-Temperature Furnace Components: Tungsten rods serve as heating elements, structural supports, support pillars, feeders, and fasteners in high-temperature vacuum furnaces, sintering furnaces, and sapphire crystal growth furnaces. They provide reliable mechanical support and dimensional stability at operating temperatures up to 2,500°C.
Aerospace and Defense: Tungsten rods are used in aerospace applications for aircraft balance systems, missile guidance systems, rocket engine components, and high-temperature structural parts. In defense applications, tungsten's high density makes it ideal for kinetic energy penetrators and counterweights.
Electronics and Semiconductor: Tungsten rods serve as sputtering targets, electrode materials, probe pins, and discharge tubes in semiconductor manufacturing. They are also used as heat sinks and electrical contacts in high-power electronic devices.
Radiation Shielding and Medical Devices: Leveraging tungsten's high density (19.25 g/cm³), tungsten rods are used in radiation shielding components for medical diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, as well as in X-ray diagnostics.
Lighting Industry: Tungsten rods are used as electrodes and carrier components in various lighting applications, including discharge lamps and halogen lamps.
Glass and Metallurgical Industries: Tungsten rods are used as electrodes in glass melting furnaces and rare earth melting, where they withstand the corrosive and high-temperature environment of molten materials.
Scientific Research: Tungsten rods are widely used in research laboratories for high-temperature material studies, thermophysical testing, thermionic emission experiments, and specialized test setups.
Specifications Of High-Purity Tungsten Rod