What are the product characteristics and functional features of tungsten alloy blocks in various application scenarios?

2026-07-15

Tungsten alloy blocks are a metallic material characterized by high density, excellent ductility, and resistance to high-temperature corrosion, making them suitable for manufacturing counterweights and components intended for use in high-strength environments.

Performance of tungsten alloy blocks

Tungsten alloy blocks exhibit excellent physical and chemical properties, including high density, high hardness, good ductility, and resistance to high-temperature corrosion.

High density Manufactured from high-density tungsten alloys, these blocks possess an exceptionally high density—over twice that of ordinary steel.

Excellent machinability Due to their superior ductility, they can be processed via turning, milling, planing, thread cutting, and tapping; they are also suitable for large-deformation strengthening treatments such as rolling, spinning forging, and forging, enabling the production of parts in various shapes.

Excellent ductility Block-shaped products fabricated from W-Ni-Fe high-density alloys exhibit superior ductility, with a sintered elongation rate of 10%–15%. After vacuum or atmosphere dehydrogenation treatment, the elongation rate can be increased to 20%–30%.

High tensile strength Sintered tungsten alloy plates exhibit a tensile strength of 800–1000 MPa, which can be enhanced to 1300–1500 MPa after heat treatment and deformation processing.

Excellent electrical properties This material exhibits superior electrical characteristics, including high conductivity, resistance to electrical corrosion, and high-voltage tolerance.

Excellent thermal conductivity and low linear expansion coefficient Its thermal conductivity is five times that of mold steel, while its linear expansion coefficient is only half to one-third that of iron or steel; it also exhibits excellent corrosion resistance and oxidation resistance.

Excellent weldability High-density alloys can be brazed using copper or silver welding materials and are suitable for electroplating.

Applications of Tungsten Alloy Blocks

Tungsten alloy blocks are widely used as metal counterweights. They serve as stabilizing components in military defense systems, such as pre-fabricated fragments and counterweights for military weapons. Beyond military applications, these blocks are employed in civilian industries—including automotive counterweights, ship ballast weights, and sports equipment weights. In medical applications, tungsten alloy blocks are processed into medical shielding components and other parts.

With their unique material properties, tungsten alloy blocks maintain excellent performance even under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions, making them extensively utilized in such environments. These blocks are commonly used to manufacture weapon components, extrusion molds, and various counterweights including those for speedboats, vehicles, aircraft, helicopters, ships, and tanks.

Extrusion molding is a critical forming technique that involves compressing workpieces against rigid dies to reduce cross-sectional dimensions and enhance strength. Due to their high melting point and corrosion resistance, tungsten alloy blocks are ideal for extrusion mold components. Counterweight applications represent one of the primary uses of tungsten alloy blocks, not only because of their high specific gravity but also due to their exceptional metallic properties—such as superior corrosion resistance, oxidation resistance, and machinability—which significantly extend service life.

Material Composition

Tungsten alloy blocks can be fabricated from tungsten-based alloys with varying compositions and ratios depending on application requirements. The most commonly used alloys are W-Ni-Cu and W-Ni-Fe.

W-Ni-Cu Alloy The W-Ni-Cu alloy is primarily fabricated by mixing and sintering powders of tungsten (W), nickel (Ni), and copper (Cu). It typically contains 80%–90% W, with Ni and Cu added as binders to form a two-phase alloy after liquid-phase sintering, achieving a density close to theoretical values. The remaining composition consists solely of copper, which enhances both the strength and ductility of the tungsten-based alloy. Regarding properties, this alloy exhibits no magnetism, making it suitable for specialized applications; its other physical characteristics align with those of standard tungsten alloys.

W-Ni-Fe Alloy The W-Ni-Fe alloy is produced by mixing and sintering powders of W, Ni, and Fe, with W constituting the highest component at 80%–90%, while Ni and Fe serve as binding agents. After liquid-phase sintering, it forms a two-phase structure with density approaching theoretical values. Nickel is an essential element in the sintering process, present at 0.5%–12%; concentrations exceeding 12% reduce thermal and corrosion resistance. Iron content ranges from 0.5% to 8%, with levels above 8% increasing brittleness. Iron improves strength and ductility, conferring mild magnetism, and enables applications such as armor-piercing bullet cores, high-momentum destructive fragments, counterweights, and various industrial uses. Compared to W-Ni-Cu, this alloy demonstrates superior strength and ductility.

Processing of Tungsten Alloy Blocks

The processing of tungsten alloy blocks involves the use of metal injection molding technology, which closely resembles forming techniques. Compared to traditional methods, this approach enables the production of high-quality precision components. For small tungsten alloy blocks with complex shapes ranging from approximately 0.1 grams to 200 grams, the manufacturing tolerance is as low as 0.1%–0.5%, while their mechanical properties are superior even when compared to tungsten alloys with densities as high as 95%–99%. Material utilization rates can reach up to 97%, with minimal or negligible machining requirements; these blocks exhibit excellent dimensional accuracy, repeatability, and adjustable composition, Both the entry resistance and heat treatment resistance exhibit very high performance.