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Tungsten Properties
Pure tungsten is steel-gray to tin-white and is a hard metal. It is brittle and hard to work when impure. Very pure tungsten can be cut with a hacksaw, forged, spun, drawn, and extruded. Tungsten has the highest melting point 3,422°C (6,192°F) of any metals, and has the highest tensile strength at temperatures over 1,650°C (3,000°F). Tungsten metal forms a protective oxide when exposed to air but can be oxidized at high temperature. Its corrosion resistance is excellent and it can only be attacked slightly by most mineral acids. When alloyed in small quantities with steel, it greatly increases its hardness. The thermal expansion is about the same as borosilicate glass, which makes the metal useful for glass-to-metal seals.
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