Here's a list of the most frequently asked questions and answers regarding tungsten rings.

Q. How can I ensure the correct ring size?
A. Before placing your order please confirm the proper finger size. All of our tungsten carbide rings are comfort fit. This means extra metal is used to make the inside of the band slightly domed, resulting in a very comfortable fit. The center part fits closer to the finger than the outer edges. A comfort fit ring will fit looser on the finger because it is not flat on the inside but rather rounded. Therefore when you are getting sized please use the narrow finger sizer which is 3 mm wide, (as opposed to the wider one of 6.5 mm.) This will provide an accurate finger size. Do not use the wider finger sizer as your ring will fit too loosely.

Q. Can a tungsten ring be sized?
A. Tungsten rings CANNOT be sized like a gold, silver or platinum ring. The metal is too hard for conventional jewelers' tools.

Q. Do you engrave tungsten rings?
A. YES - by special request. The engraving fee is $50.00. We engrave up to 20 characters [including letters and spaces] Please enter the engraving you would like in interior engraving field when you order. Because Tungsten Carbide is one of the world's hardest metals, special machinery is required to engrave on it. Not only must the machine be able to penetrate the metal, but it must do it in a way that isn't so deep as to harm the integrity of the ring. Because engraving is permanent and creates a heirloom, we cannot accept returns on engraved items.

Q. Are tungsten rings comfortable?
A. YES. Your tungsten carbide ring is made using our full inside round comfort fit feature. This makes the ring more comfortable to wear. Most other Tungsten carbide rings do not have this feature.

Q. How should I clean and care for my tungsten ring?
A. Your tungsten carbide ring requires little care. If your ring is 100% tungsten carbide high polished your ring will remain high polished forever. If your ring has a finish you may get some micro scratches. The tungsten didn't scratch: rather, the metal it rubbed against embedded itself in your ring. In most cases a tooth brush and mild detergent will remove the foreign material.

Avoid cleaning with harsh chemicals and DO NOT LEAVE IN THE ULTASONIC CLEANING MACHINE FOR MORE THAN A MINUTE.

Q. What if a Tungsten or Tungsten Carbide ring gets stuck on your finger, can it be safely removed if necessary?
A. Yes, first try removing by soaking your hand in a bowl of ice water for a minute or two, then apply a heavy lubricant like petroleum jelly on the finger between the ring and the knuckle, hold the ring with a cloth and gently pull with a rocking motion. (Note: This will work on any metal, including gold or platinum).

If pulling doesn't work, Tungsten and Tungsten Carbide rings are engineered to be safely and easily removed in case of emergency. Click here to view the recommended removal procedure as written by Dr. Stanley Hajduk and published by the Annals of Emergency Medicine in June of 2001.

About Tungsten Rings
Tungsten rings are composed of a metal alloy, tungsten carbide. The alloy allows for maximum hardness and rigidity without sacrificing tensile strength. Each tungsten carbide ring is cut and polished with diamond tools. Tungsten rings are not sizable by ordinary jewelers' tools -- the metal is too hard. Most tungsten metal powder is converted to tungsten carbide (WC) by reaction with pure carbon powder, e.g. carbon black, at 900 - 2200°C in pusher or batch furnaces, a process called carburisation.

Tungsten Carbide Manufacturer & Supplier: Chinatungsten Online - http://www.tungsten-carbide.com.cn
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Tungsten Carbide Fact
"Tungsten" (from the Swedish and Danish tung sten, means "hard-" or, more accurately, "heavy-stone") is used in English, French, Italian as the name of the element, although in many other languages (e.g. in German and Spanish) it is known as "wolfram", and this is also the origin of its chemical symbol, W and the atomic number is 74. Tungsten carbide, WC, or tungsten semicarbide, W2C, is a chemical compound containing tungsten and carbon. Colloquially, tungsten carbide is often simply called carbide. Our Tungsten Carbide Rings are composed of 85-88% of Tungsten Carbide, with a minority composition of materials including Tantalum, Titanium, Niobium and Chromium.

In its raw form, tungsten is a steel-gray metal that is often hard to work. Of all metals in pure form, tungsten has the highest melting point (3,422’C, 6,192 ’F), lowest vapor pressure and (at temperatures above 1,650’C) the highest tensile strength. Tungsten has the lowest coefficient of thermal expansion of any pure metal. It is remarkable for its robust physical properties, especially the fact that it has the highest melting point of all the non-alloyed metals and the second highest of all the elements after carbon.

Tungsten Carbide is the only metal that can be permanently polished and scratch-free. The polish and finish will virtually last forever and will never deform. It is 10 times harder than 18k gold, 5 times than steel and 4 times than titanium. Many people also enjoy the heavy weight of a tungsten carbide ring. The enduring polish of a tungsten ring together with the solid weight, speak of commitment, security and an everlasting bond.

High-tech Ceramic Fact
High-tech ceramic is commonly used in producing watch cases. The material is valued by watchmakers for its light weight, scratch-resistance, durability and smooth touch. IWC is one of the brands that initiated the use of ceramic in watch-making.

High-tech ceramic rings are the latest contemporary fashion trends. The term covers inorganic non-metallic materials which are formed by the action of heat. Basically, when heat is applied to ceramic, it forms an oxidized coating. This coating creates enables the ring to be 100% scratch resistant. The coating has the same strength of sapphire and will prevent much of the wear and tear. High-tech ceramic material is heavier than titanium, but lighter than tungsten carbide. It shares hypoallergenic qualities like black zirconium rings and titanium rings but offers a stylish look. Just like Tungsten Carbide, High-tech ceramic rings are permanently polished, scratch-free with everlasting durability.

Engraving and Customizations are Possible
Although both Tungsten Carbide and High-tech ceramic Rings are strong and hard to work with, we can still provide engraving service onto the rings and customizations on width and thickness are possible too.

Tungsten Carbide Manufacturer & Supplier: Chinatungsten Online - http://www.tungsten-carbide.com.cn
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This deals with the extraction of tungsten from tungsten(VI) oxide, WO3, produced from tungsten ores such as wolframite or scheelite.

Introduction

The production of the tungsten(VI) oxide from the ores is complicated, and not needed for any UK A level (or equivalent) syllabus. All we are interested in is the final reduction of the oxide to the metal.

Pure tungsten can't be obtained by reducing tungsten(VI) oxide using carbon, because it reacts with carbon to make tungsten carbide. Instead, the reducing agent is hydrogen.

The extraction process

Powdered tungsten(VI) oxide is heated to temperatures in the range 550 - 850°C in a stream of hydrogen.

An excess of hydrogen is used, and this carries away the steam produced during the reaction. The hydrogen is dried and recycled.

Great care obviously has to be taken to keep the whole system free of air to avoid explosion risks with the hydrogen at these high temperatures.

Tungsten Manufacturer & Supplier: Chinatungsten Online - http://www.chinatungsten.com
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Overall Industry Structure:  The tungsten industry may be considered to comprise three principal divisions:

    Primary Tungsten Producers – the mines which mine and carry out primary mineral processing to produce tungsten mineral concentrates

    Secondary Tungsten Processors – the processing plants which take the mineral concentrates and process them into a number of tungsten powders, including ammonium paratungstate (APT), suitable for use in downstream metal/alloy manufacturing.  These powders are often referred to as “intermediates”

    Tertiary Tungsten Product Manufacturers – the plants which produce finished tungsten metal, tungsten alloys, tungsten tools and other tungsten end products.

Traditionally there has been some degree of vertical integration within the industry, with some common ownership of secondary processing and tertiary manufacturing facilities, but this integration rarely extended upstream to the primary producers, the miners. However, the expansion of the Chinese economy and the demand for tungsten has, apparently, resulted in considerable vertical integration in the tungsten industry in China, whether through common ownership or contractual arrangements, with a move away from exports of concentrates and into downstream processing and manufacturing. This pressure towards vertical integration within China and an apparent desire to secure long term concentrate supply, has resulted in various large Chinese companies investing in Western tungsten projects. This activity in China has started to affect the industry outside China, with a number of strategic mergers, acquisitions and investment within the Western tungsten industry over the last two years.

Tungsten Products:  The usages of tungsten result in an industry structured to produce various categories of products:

    Approximately 50% of tungsten is used in the production of hardmetals, or cemented carbides; these are cutting, drilling and wear materials formed from tungsten carbides and cobalt, and occasionally other minor metals such as titanium, tantalum and niobium

    Some 17% of tungsten is used to produce specialist steel alloys, such as high speed steel, heat resistant steel and tool steels, all largely utilised in metal cutting applications and specialist engineering applications

    In the region of 15% of tungsten would be used to make “mill products”; the mill products would comprise tungsten rod, sheet and wire, electrical contacts, etc…

    The balancing 18% of tungsten is used by the chemical industry and in other specialist applications.

World Tungsten Metal Production:  The total yearly tonnage of mine tungsten metal production is very small relative to base metals, the more recent estimates being:

    83,000t  of primary tungsten metal (W) production – equivalent to 105,000t of tungsten trioxide, WO3 (79.3% W)

The breakdown of this production would be circa:

    70,000t/ year W from Chinese mines  -  of the order of 84% of World production

    7,000t /year W from Western orientated economies  -  circa 9%

    6,000t/year W from other communist or CIS countries  -  circa 7%

Tungsten Pricing:  Prices for tungsten concentrates produced by mines and the intermediate tungsten powers produced by the secondary processors are quoted in metric tonne units (mtu). An mtu consists of 10kg of WO3, as contained within the particular material in question, concentrates or APT (this relationship conveniently results in the fact that a 1% resource grade equates to 1 mtu). The two materials for which prices are quoted widely and reported in mtu of WO3 are:

    tungsten trioxide, WO3, (containing 79.3% tungsten metal), as the critical constituent in the minerals in mine concentrates

    ammonium paratungstate, APT, the main secondary downstream product made from concentrates.

Tungsten Manufacturer & Supplier: Chinatungsten Online - http://www.chinatungsten.com
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Tungsten Metal (W):  From a mining and metal industry perspective, tungsten falls into a loose grouping of around 20 metals termed the minor metals (the other metal groupings being; the precious metals, the base metals and the platinum group metals (PGMs)).  Tungsten is unique in having a combination of relatively extreme properties compared to other metals; its properties include:

    a very high melting point, 3422°C (5700°C, boiling)  -  highest melting point of all metals

    a very dense, heavy metal, 19.25 g/cm2

    an extremely strong, wear resistant metal; has a hardness close to that of diamonds - highest modulus of elasticity and highest tensile strength of all metals

    a thermally and chemically stable metal, with high thermal conductivity - lowest coefficient of expansion of the metals

    a high electrical conductivity

    a relatively inert metal which does not oxidise readily, is extremely corrosive resistant and relatively acid resistant and is deemed environmentally benign.

Tungsten Uses:  As a consequence of tungsten metal’s properties, tungsten alloys are used in various application areas:

    Tungsten, due to its hardness and ability to withstand heat, is very suitable as a critical component of cutting tools used to drill or cut other metals, concrete or rock (e.g. household drill bits, metal fabrication tools, dentists tools, etc..)

    These attributes also make tungsten alloys suitable for critical temperature sensitive and wear resistant machinery components (e.g. engine valves, ball-point pen tips, turbine blades, snow tyre studs)

    These wear and temperature resistant properties, in combination with tungsten’s electrical conductivity, also make tungsten ideal as a critical temperature resistant component in electronics and as a contact point in electrical circuits (e.g. LCD panels, TV tubes, laser printers, window heating wires, car horns, electrical switch gear)

    Tungsten’s high density properties also make it suitable as a weight or counterbalance in specific machinery applications (airplane flaps, mobile phone vibration systems, crankcase balancing weights, golf clubs and as an environmentally acceptable substitute for lead shot in cartridges).

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Tungsten Minerals: The only two tungsten minerals of any importance are two tungstates or oxides, their relative values being determined by the measure used to determine mine ore grades and mine concentrate grades, i.e. the tungsten trioxide or WO3, content:

Scheelite, a calcium tungsten oxide, CaWO4  -  contains 80.5% WO3

Wolframite, an iron-manganese tungsten oxide, (Fe, Mn)WO4  -  the iron rich variety, called Ferberite, contains 76.3% WO3; the manganese rich variety is termed Hubnerite and contains 76.6% WO3

Tungsten Deposits: Tungsten principally occurs in four main geological settings, as:

    Skarn deposits - where granites are intruded into limestones

    Vein deposits - in quartz veins adjacent to granites, as a series of larger separate veins

    Sheeted vein deposits - as multiple, narrow, closely spaced, quartz veins forming large sheeted vein systems within and adjacent to granites

    Pegmatites - very coarse segregations/concentrations of specific minerals at the margins of granites

Metals and Minerals Associated with Tungsten: Tungsten mineralisation is frequently associated with minor quantities of sulphides, usually iron sulphides, but occasionally with economic quantities of copper sulphides; it may also have specific associations with other potentially economic minerals:

    Tungsten and tin in vein and sheeted vein deposits

    Tungsten and gold in sheeted vein deposits

    Tungsten and magnetite in skarn deposits

    Tungsten and molybdenum in skarn deposits

    Tungsten and lithium, tantalum, niobium and tin in pegmatite deposits

Tungsten Manufacturer & Supplier: Chinatungsten Online - http://www.chinatungsten.com
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Tungsten is a metal with unique properties making it an essential component in many industrial applications. Critical properties include - very high melting point, very high density, hardness close to diamond, thermally and chemically stable, excellent conductor, and environmentally benign.

The most important use is as tungsten carbide in hardmetals, used mainly for industrial drilling and cutting tools. Secondary uses are in electronics and specialist steels.

China accounts for over 85% of world tungsten mine production; western world supply is very limited.

USA, Europe and Japan consume ~55% of world tungsten, but produce only ~5%.

Chinese domestic demand has increased, and China has moved from a net exporter to net importer of tungsten concentrates. This increase in Chinese demand, combined with increased controls by the Chinese Government on their domestic tungsten industry and tungsten exports.

Concerns over security of supply of tungsten concentrates to western processors and industry end-users. This along with other factors have resulted in the EU categorising tungsten as a "critical raw material".

Chinese domestic consumption of tungsten is forecasted to grow by 5-8% annually between 2012 and 2016.

Growth markets for tungsten are still being identified, such as nickel-tungsten alloys that could replace chrome plating and nickel-tungsten alloys that could replace gold-nickel plating.

Tungsten, with essential applications in industry, aerospace and military, is a strategic commodity.  Stockpiles exist in the US and Russia. China and Japan have also indicated that they intend to build stockpiles and there has been some discussion of the possible creation of a European stockpile.

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Mott Corp says that its porous metal components and filters are available in a range of refractory metal alloys including zirconium, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, and niobium.

Mott Corp can design porous components or entire filter assemblies using refractory metals to meet various flow control or filtration requirements, to meet tolerances and to a sub-micron particulate removal. 

Porous components in refractory metals have melting points from 2400°C to over 3400°C and thus can meet demanding filtration or flow control requirements. They are also refractory metals are electrically conductive and chemically inert and can be a suitable material of construction for many where higher operating temperatures are critical.

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You may have heard that a tungsten carbide ring is unbreakable. This would have some good and bad effects. Having a wedding ring that would never bend, crack, scratch, or get marred would be a benefit.

Tungsten carbide rings are not indestructible. In case of emergency, you can remove them with relative ease. Just don't drop your wedding band on a hard surface - any Tungsten Carbide wedding ring (no matter who makes it) is brittle. It will crack, chip or even shatter upon impact with a hard surface or object. It is also not a metal or even solid, as Wikipedia confirms.

Tungsten Carbide Manufacturer & Supplier: Chinatungsten Online - http://www.tungsten-carbide.com.cn
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You may know a few things about tungsten bands. Undoubtedly, you have heard that tungsten carbide rings have become the metal of choice for grooms throughout the nation. One of the main reasons this is so is due to its toughness. They resist scratching much better than any other metal out there. Few substances can scratch it. Diamonds are one of them. What some may find odd or shocking is that tungsten rings are not indestructible. Tungsten carbide rings can break! If a tungsten ring is dropped on a hard surface, it can break or crack.

Mens Tungsten Wedding Bands