What is tungsten? Tungsten is a dense, steel-grey refractory metal with the highest melting point of any pure element — 3,422°C — making it irreplaceable in applications where heat, hardness, and mass are non-negotiable. Known by its chemical symbol W, derived from its alternative name wolfram, and carrying atomic number 74 on the periodic table, tungsten sits at the intersection of industrial tooling, defence technology, and emerging supply chain risk. Its status as a critical mineral across the United States, European Union, and United Kingdom reflects both its economic importance and the concentration of its supply in a single country: China.
What Is Tungsten? Properties and Characteristics
Tungsten is classified as a refractory metal — a group defined by exceptional resistance to heat, wear, and deformation under stress. Its key physical properties set it apart from all other metals.
Its melting point of 3,422°C (6,192°F) is the highest of any pure metal. Its density of 19.25 g/cm³ is comparable to gold and nearly twice that of lead, giving it mass-to-volume properties useful where weight concentration matters. At temperatures above 1,650°C, tungsten retains the highest tensile strength of any pure metal — a property no substitute currently matches at scale.
In its natural or impure form, tungsten is brittle and difficult to machine. Highly purified tungsten becomes ductile enough to be drawn into wire thinner than a human hair. It is extracted primarily from two ore minerals: wolframite (an iron-manganese tungstate) and scheelite (calcium tungstate). The metal is processed into intermediate products — most importantly ammonium paratungstate (APT) — before being refined into metal powders, alloys, and compounds.
What Is Tungsten Used For?
Tungsten’s applications are dominated by its hardness and heat resistance. Approximately 60% of global tungsten demand is consumed as tungsten carbide, produced by combining tungsten powder with carbon at high temperature. The result is a compound approaching diamond in hardness, used to manufacture cutting tool inserts, drill bits, end mills, and mining equipment. Industries from automotive manufacturing to oil and gas exploration depend on tungsten carbide tooling.
The remaining demand splits across several high-value segments. In electronics and electrical applications, tungsten is used in X-ray tube anodes, heating elements for industrial furnaces, electron emitters in vacuum equipment, and — historically — incandescent light bulb filaments. These applications persist because no other material sustains structural integrity at the temperatures involved.
In aerospace and defence, tungsten is used in rocket nozzle linings, turbine blade alloys, radiation shielding, and kinetic energy penetrators — the dense-metal rods used in armour-piercing ammunition. Tungsten’s ballistic density makes it the primary non-depleted uranium alternative for penetrator munitions. This application has drawn increasing government attention in Western rearmament programmes, given that China controls the dominant share of refined supply.
Superalloys for gas turbine engines contain tungsten at concentrations of 3–6% by weight, where it contributes creep resistance at sustained operating temperatures. Advanced Alloy Services, a Sheffield-based superalloy revert processor, handles tungsten-bearing alloy scrap from UK aerospace and defence supply chains — a reflection of how deeply embedded the metal is in high-value manufacturing.
Where Is Tungsten Produced?
China dominates tungsten supply at every stage of the chain. According to USGS data, China accounts for approximately 80% of global tungsten mine production, with estimated reserves of 1.9 million tonnes — more than half the world total. Vietnam, Russia, and Bolivia hold the next largest producing positions, but at a fraction of Chinese output.
Downstream, Chinese dominance is even more pronounced. The majority of global APT — the primary tradeable intermediate — is produced and exported by Chinese operators. Western refining capacity for tungsten is limited, with meaningful production in Germany, Austria (via Plansee and Wolfram Bergbau), and Portugal.
Canada, Australia, and the UK have known tungsten deposits. Almonty Industries operates the Sangdong mine in South Korea — one of the few non-Chinese primary tungsten mines of scale — and is developing the Valtreixal project in Spain. These represent the most advanced Western alternatives to Chinese supply, but combined output remains a small fraction of Chinese production.
Tungsten Price and Market
Tungsten is traded primarily as APT, priced in US dollars per metric tonne unit (mtu) of tungsten trioxide content. The benchmark price is reported by Shanghai Metals Market (SMM) and Asian Metal. Unlike cobalt or nickel, tungsten has no LME futures contract — pricing is driven by spot negotiations between producers and consumers, making it less transparent and more sensitive to sudden supply disruptions.
For current APT spot prices, market data, and monthly price history, see the CMN tungsten price tracker. Prices are updated on the first of each month.
Tungsten Supply Chain Risks
China’s position in tungsten supply creates concentration risk that Western governments have identified as strategically significant. The UK, EU, and US all classify tungsten as a critical mineral. China imposed export licensing requirements on tungsten in early 2025 — a measure that preceded broader controls on critical minerals including antimony and gallium. The China critical minerals export controls framework has tightened progressively, and tungsten is among the metals exposed to further restriction.
The supply risk is compounded by the absence of a simple substitute. For cutting tools and armour-piercing applications, no single alternative material matches tungsten’s combination of hardness and density at viable cost. Recycling — primarily from tungsten carbide scrap — provides approximately 30–35% of Western tungsten consumption, but this share is insufficient to offset a significant reduction in Chinese exports.
Tungsten’s defence-critical status is reflected in its inclusion in stockpile reviews by the US Defense Logistics Agency and the UK’s Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre. It also features prominently in analysis of technology metals exposed to Chinese export control leverage — including among the top technology metals at risk from China.
For related supply chain exposure, see CMN’s coverage of antimony — another refractory-adjacent metal subject to China export controls — and the broader China export controls buyer guide.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
What is tungsten used for?
Tungsten is used primarily as tungsten carbide in cutting tools, drill bits, and mining equipment — accounting for around 60% of global demand. Other applications include X-ray tubes, heating elements, aerospace alloys, rocket nozzles, and kinetic energy penetrators in defence munitions.
Why is tungsten classified as a critical mineral?
Tungsten is classified as critical by the US, EU, and UK because it is economically essential across industrial, aerospace, and defence applications, with no adequate substitute for many uses, and because approximately 80% of global mine supply is concentrated in China.
Who produces the most tungsten in the world?
China produces around 80% of global tungsten mine output and dominates refined production of ammonium paratungstate (APT), the primary tradeable intermediate. Vietnam, Russia, and Bolivia hold the next largest mining positions at significantly lower output.
What is tungsten carbide and why is it important?
Tungsten carbide is a compound of tungsten and carbon approaching diamond in hardness. It is the dominant form in which tungsten is consumed industrially — used to manufacture cutting tool inserts, drill bits, end mills, and wear-resistant components across manufacturing, mining, and oil and gas.
What is the tungsten price and where is it traded?
Tungsten is priced primarily as ammonium paratungstate (APT), quoted in US dollars per metric tonne unit (mtu). Unlike base metals, tungsten has no LME futures contract — pricing is determined through spot negotiations. Current APT prices are tracked on the CMN tungsten price page, updated monthly.
What are the risks to tungsten supply?
China controls approximately 80% of mine production and the majority of refined output. China has imposed export licensing requirements on tungsten, and further restrictions remain possible. Western recycling covers around 30–35% of consumption, and new non-Chinese mine development is limited. These factors make tungsten one of the highest-risk critical minerals for supply disruption.
