Why is tungsten steel used to make cutting tools? After looking at the properties of tungsten steel is not difficult to understand!
Tungsten steel is a metal alloy made by combining tungsten and iron. By adding tungsten to the alloy, its hardness and heat resistance can be improved so that parts made of tungsten steel can maintain high performance and resist wear at high temperatures. In industry, tungsten steel is valued as a tool steel and is commonly used in industrial tools and machinery for machining other metals, such as molds and cutting tools.
The chemical element tungsten is a transition metal with atomic number 74. English name Tungsten, sometimes it is also called Wolfram, hence the chemical symbol W. Tungsten is one of the densest and most heat-resistant chemical elements in existence. It has a melting temperature of 6,192 °F (3,422 °C), the second highest melting point of any chemical element, and the second highest melting point of any pure non-alloy metal. Its density of 19.25 grams per cubic centimeter is higher than that of uranium, lead and most transuranic elements, while tungsten also has high tensile strength.
Because of its hardness and heat resistance, tungsten is a common alloying element in high speed steel, a tool steel. These are alloyed tool steels that maintain high hardness at high temperatures, thus allowing them to withstand the heat and wear suffered by high-speed cutting tools and drill bits. Their tungsten content varies from alloy to alloy, up to 18.75%. These steels also contain carbon, as well as several common elements such as molybdenum, chromium and vanadium. Small amounts of other elements are also used, such as copper, nickel and phosphorus.
High-speed tungsten steel is commonly used in manufacturing machinery, such as saw blades, taps and drill bits. Because of its wear resistance, it is sometimes used in hand tools. These include chisels, files and kitchen knives.
Tungsten is also the main alloying element in certain types of hot-work tool steels, a type of tool steel used in tools that must be able to withstand prolonged exposure to high temperatures. In addition, hot work tool steels must be highly resistant to stresses caused by rapid temperature changes called thermal shock. Hot working tungsten steels also usually have a high chromium content and may contain vanadium. It is used in conjunction with other heating metal equipment, such as extrusion die and forging die.
