ferroalloy
Ferroalloy refers to various alloys of iron with a high proportion of one or more other elements such as manganese (Mn), aluminium (Al), or silicon (Si). They are used in the production of steels and alloys. The alloys impart distinctive qualitie ...
, consisting of
iron
Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's o ...
and
tungsten
Tungsten (also called wolfram) is a chemical element; it has symbol W and atomic number 74. It is a metal found naturally on Earth almost exclusively in compounds with other elements. It was identified as a distinct element in 1781 and first ...
.Ferro Tungsten American Elements; accessed 1 march 2019 The metal usually consists of 75%-82% or 70%-75% tungsten.
Applications
Because of its high melting point, ferrotungsten is a robust alloy with applications in aerospaceRussia's Growing Air Power Popular Science Jul 1947, page 91: accessed 1 March 2019 and making of tungsten-containing steel. Tungsten's unique electrical capabilities has made ferrotungsten useful electron microscopes and in IC chips.
Production
Discovered in 1874, world ferrotungsten production today is dominated by China, which in 2008 exported 4,835 t (gross weight) of the alloy. Ferrotungsten is relatively expensive, with the prices around $31–44 per kilogram of contained tungsten.Lisa A. Corathers ''et al.' Ferroalloys USGS 2008 Minerals Yearbook During World War 2, over 21,000,000 lb of Ferro-tungsten and other ferroalloys were shipped to Russia on lend-lease. The cost was more than $12,000,000.
Ferrotungsten comes from rich ore raw materials primarily of
wolframite
Wolframite is an iron, manganese, and tungstate mineral with a chemical formula of that is the intermediate mineral between ferberite ( rich) and hübnerite ( rich). Along with scheelite, the wolframite series are the most important tungsten ...
or
scheelite
Scheelite is a calcium tungstate mineral with the chemical formula Ca W O4. It is an important ore of tungsten (wolfram). Scheelite is originally named after Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele (1742–1786). Well-formed crystals are sought ...