Tungsten Wire
Tungsten wire is produced by tungsten
suppliers for applications
such as aerospace, scientific instrumentation, welding and the lamp and bulb
industry. The light bulb industry uses more tungsten wire than any other industry.
Tungsten wire has an extremely high melting point, good corrosion resistance
and great strength at high temperatures. Because of these qualities, tungsten
wire is often used to produce bulb filaments and in other high-temperature
applications. Tungsten metal is brittle, but working the metal into wire form
increases its strength and allows for easier handling of the metal.
To produce tungsten wire, tungsten suppliers roll or swage sintered tungsten.
This process deforms the tungsten at high temperatures and causes the metal
to reach its full density. Eventually, wire drawing is used to reduce the tungsten
to its desired wire form and density. The final microstructure of tungsten
wire consists of fiber-like structures which provide the wire with bend ductility.