RE: Tungsten

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Lau, Gary" <gary.lau@xxxxxx>

The pure tungsten rods I have seen were extremely hard and required a
diamond cutting wheel to cut.  I can't say how it compared with tungsten
carbide - only that it was not remotely like lead!

Gary Lau
MA, USA

> Original poster: jdwarshui@xxxxxxxxx
>
> Tungsten in its pure form is said to be as soft as lead. Not to
> surprisingly tungsten is almost always found as an alloy.
>
> Tungsten carbide is not the same as a tungsten alloy, it is instead a
> stoichiometric mix of carbon and tungsten. This means that the
> proportions of one element to the other must be exact. (Alloys do not
> need exact proportions)
>
> The stuff they make milling cutters out of is finely granulated
> tungsten carbide held together with binders. My recollection (which is
> far from perfect) is that cobalt and nickel are the principle binders.
> Cobalt and nickel (like iron) are ferromagnetic.
>
> Jared Dwarshuis
>