Speaking of the "tough guys" in non-ferrous metals, gold, silver, and copper are now turning red and purple, and all three are skyrocketing. With the upcoming Spring Festival, people love to buy things like gold and silver that can preserve and increase their value; And copper is electricity AI、 The 'essential mine' in the field of new energy vehicles is needed in many areas. But who would have thought that the more inconspicuous things often have strategic value, and tungsten is this non-ferrous metal.

Why is it said to be so hardcore that it is irreplaceable?

You can think of tungsten as one of the "steel agents" who do the most dangerous work.

Its melting point is as high as 3422 degrees Celsius, gold is easily deformed when exposed to heat, copper's performance begins to decline when it exceeds 300 degrees, silver is easily oxidized, but tungsten remains "calm" in the scorching heat of rocket launches and the harsh environment of nuclear fusion devices.

Compared to hardness, tungsten is second only to diamond and 1.7 times harder than ordinary steel. It is wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant, and there is almost no better alternative for cutting hard metals and manufacturing wear-resistant parts. This is also the reason why tungsten alloy is often chosen for armor piercing core and missile counterweights.

From gas turbines, rockets, missiles, nuclear reactors, to aerospace, atomic energy, ships, automobiles, electrical, electronic, chemical, and military industries, tungsten is the key wrench that unlocks the door to high technology.

Hardcore is one aspect, while scarcity and industry chain discourse power are another.

The global proven tungsten reserves are approximately 4.63 million tons, with China accounting for 2.4 million tons, or 52%.

The global primary tungsten ore production in 2023 is approximately 79500 tons, with China producing around 66000 tons.

In 2024, there will be approximately 81000 tons worldwide, with China accounting for 83% of the total, and non China accounting for approximately 14000 tons, mainly from Vietnam, Russia, Australia, and other countries.

In the distribution of global primary tungsten ore production in 2024, China accounts for over 80%, Vietnam 5%, Russia 3%, Australia 2%, and other countries combined account for less than 10%.

More importantly, we are not just mining. China has long listed tungsten as a national protected mining mineral, restricting unregulated mining since 1991 and gradually forming a complete system of mining, smelting, processing, and application.

Nowadays, tungsten processing products account for over 75% of the world's total, with a self-sufficiency rate of over 90% for high-end products. We have control over everything from the source to the end.

The following are the application areas of tungsten:

1. Defense industry: Tungsten plays a crucial role in the manufacturing of weapons such as missiles, electromagnetic guns, mother and child shells, armor piercing shells, tank shells, and prefabricated lethal ammunition. Tungsten alloy+bullets are considered the "king of war metals" due to their high density and excellent radiation absorption ability.

2. Aerospace: Tungsten has important applications in fields such as turbines, internal combustion engines, aircraft engines, aerospace gyroscopes, rockets, and high-temperature components. Especially tungsten alloy, due to its excellent high temperature resistance and radiation shielding effect, has become an ideal choice for nuclear fuel storage and radiation protection materials.

3. Steel industry: Tungsten is one of the main alloying elements in high-speed tool steel, alloy structural steel, spring steel, heat-resistant steel, and stainless steel. Tungsten improves the properties of alloy materials, including high-temperature strength, plasticity, and toughness, through solid solution strengthening, precipitation strengthening, and dispersion strengthening.

4. In the field of electronics: Tungsten has strong plasticity, fast evaporation rate, and high melting point, making it widely used in the electronics and power supply industries. Tungsten wire is commonly used in the manufacture of light bulb filaments, such as incandescent lamps and iodine tungsten lamps, due to its high luminous efficiency and long service life. In addition, tungsten wire is also used to manufacture direct heating cathodes and grids for electronic oscillating tubes, as well as cathode heaters in electronic instruments.

5. Medical field: Tungsten alloy has a wide range of applications in medical fields such as X-ray and radiation protection due to its high hardness and density. For example, anode anti scattering plates and radioactive containers made of tungsten alloy.