Tungsten alloys

Tungsten alloys are a group of high-density materials that primarily consist of tungsten combined with other metals such as nickel, iron, or copper. Find out more here. These alloys are characterized by their exceptional physical and chemical properties, and are suitable for a variety of applications.

We are able to influence the properties of tungsten by varying the type and quantity of alloying elements that we add as well as the production process. At Plansee, we employ doped tungsten materials, for example, to be used in furnace construction or in the lighting industry.

For WVM, we add small quantities of potassium. Potassium has a positive effect on the mechanical properties of tungsten, especially at high temperatures. The addition of La2O3 ensures a decrease of the electron work function along with better mechanical workability, making tungsten suitable for use as a cathode material. Rhenium increases the ductility of tungsten. Copper increases the

electrical conductivity. Thanks to their good workability, you can also use our heavy metal qualities for complex geometries. For example, they are used as shielding materials or as dampening and absorbing components.

All information regarding the material tungsten

Range of materials

Pure tungsten or maybe an alloy?

Plansee produces tungsten products from the metal powder to the finished product. We only use the purest tungsten oxide as the source material. This is how we can guarantee you a very high material purity. We guarantee a purity of 99.97% for our tungsten (metallic purity without Mo). The remaining portion is made up primarily of the following elements:

Element	Typical max. value [μg/g]	Guaranteed max. value [μg/g]
Al	1	15
Cr	3	20
Cu	1	10
Fe	8	30
K	1	10
Mo	12	100
Ni	2	20
Si	1	20
C	6	30
H		5
N	1	5
O	2	20
Cd	1	5
Hg		1
Pb	1	5

The presence of Cr (VI) and organic impurities can be excluded by the production process (multiple heat treatment at temperatures above 1,000°C in H2).

Material designation		Chemical composition (percent by weight)
W (pure)		> 99.97% W
W-UHP (ultra-pure)		> 99.999% W
WVM		30–70 μg/g K
WVMW		15–40 μg/g K
WL	WL05 WL10	0.5% La₂O₃ 1.0% La₂O₃
WC20		2.0% CeO₂
WRe	WRe05 WRe26	5.0% Re 26.0% Re
WCu*		10–40% Cu
W heavy metal* alloy with a high density	Densimet® Inermet® Denal®	1.5%–10% Ni, Fe, Mo 5%–10% Ni, Cu 2.5%–10% Ni, Fe, Co

* Detailed information on our tungsten-based metal matrix composites can be found on the W-MMC materials page.

We optimally prepare our tungsten for its special application. We define the following properties due to various alloying additions:

Physical properties (e.g., melting point, density, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, thermal expansion, electron work function)
Mechanical properties (e.g., strength, creep behavior, ductility)
Chemical properties (corrosion resistance, etching behavior)
Workability (machinability, formability, welding suitability)
Recrystallization behavior (recrystallization temperature)

And we don't stop there: we can also vary the tungsten properties in other areas due to tailor-made manufacturing processes. The result: Tungsten alloys with different property profiles that are customized to the respective application.

Overview of possible tungsten alloys

WVM (tungsten-vacuum-metallizing)
WVM is almost pure tungsten doped with only a tiny amount of potassium. We primarily supply our WVM in rod and wire form. It is used as evaporation coils or heating filaments as well as for the production of components for epitaxial processes. It can also be used as a sheet in the form of an evaporation boat. We use doping as well as proper thermomechanical treatment to create a stacked structure, which results in increased dimensional stability at high temperatures.

WVMW (WVM-tungsten)
WVMW and S-WVMW were developed for use as anode materials for short arc lamps with diameters greater than 15 mm. We use almost pure tungsten for both materials, which is doped with potassium. S-WVMW is particularly suitable for rod diameters greater than 30 mm. Thanks to the special production process we use to manufacture S-WVMW, we are able to achieve high densities in the rod core.

WL (tungsten-lanthanum oxide)
We dope our tungsten with between 0.5 and 1.0 percent of lanthanum oxide (La2O3) by weight in order to improve its creep resistance and increase the recrystallization temperature. Our WL is also easier to machine due to the finely distributed oxide particles in its structure. The electron work function of tungsten-lanthanum oxide is significantly lower than that of pure tungsten. That's why WL is a popular choice for ion sources and lamp electrodes.

WC20 (tungsten-cerium oxide)
We dope tungsten with two percent cerium oxide by weight to obtain a material with a lower electron work function, better ignition characteristics, and a longer service life than pure tungsten.

WRe (tungsten-rhenium)
We alloy our tungsten with rhenium to obtain greater ductility and a lower brittle-to-ductile transition temperature. In addition, tungsten-rhenium also has a higher recrystallization temperature and better creep resistance. We use the WRe standard compositions – WRe05 and WRe26 – as a thermoelement material in applications up to over 2000 °C. The material is also used in the aviation and aerospace industry as well as a focal track coating for rotating x-ray anodes.

Tungsten alloys compared to pure tungsten


	W	WVM	WL
Alloying components (as a percent by weight)	99.97% W	30–70 µg/g K	0.5% La₂O₃ 1.0% La₂O₃
Thermal conductivity	∼	∼	∼
High-temperature stability / Creep resistance	∼	+ +	+
Recrystallization temperature	∼	++	+
Fine-grained structure	∼	+	+
Ductility	∼	∼	∼
Machinability	∼	+	++
Electron work function	∼	∼	--

∼ comparable with pure W + greater than with pure W ++ much greater than with pure W - less than with pure W -- much less than with pure W


	WC20	WRe
Alloying components (as a percent by weight)	2% CeO₂	5% / 26% Re
Thermal conductivity	∼	-
High-temperature stability / Creep resistance	+	+
Recrystallization temperature	+	+
Fine-grained structure	+	+
Ductility	∼	++
Machinability	++	+
Electron work function	+	∼

∼ comparable with pure W + greater than with pure W ++ much greater than with pure W - less than with pure W -- much less than with pure W

Contact

If you have any questions or are looking for a suitable material composition for your application, get in touch with us!

Downloads

Tungsten material brochure and data sheets

Would you like to learn more about tungsten and its alloys? Then please see our material brochure and product data sheets here.

Material brochure: Tungsten

Product data sheet: Tungsten

Product data sheet: Tungsten-rhenium

Other materials

Further refractory metals from Plansee

Metal Matrix Composites