Tungsten bar is produced by tungsten suppliers from the metal tungsten. Tungsten has a very high melting point of 3422 degrees Celsius, good corrosion resistance and can be added to other metals to produce extremely hard alloys. Tungsten in bar form is most often supplied as 99.99% pure tungsten, which can be brittle.
The chemical reactions and filtering relevant to refining and accomplishing the needed level of purity is a complicated and precise process, but generally results in high purity tungsten powder. This powder can vary in particle size and shape, depending on the intended purpose. Sometimes it remains in its powder form for use, but more often it is compressed and arranged into a solid form. This consolidation involves a series of procedures relating to high temperatures, electrical current and an atmosphere of hydrogen. During this development, the tungsten condenses and hardens, whereupon it becomes its bar form. At this point, a tungsten bar lacks the necessary level of resilience and strength for manufacturing and must then go through further operations so that it may be rolled and drawn or flattened into its final and desired form. The subsequent processing usually involves pulling the tungsten bar through dies, rolling it through mills and administering high temperatures and electrical currents.
