W

Tungsten · Wolfram

Tungsten is a dense, stable transition metal widely recognized for its superior heat resistance and strength in industrial applications.

W
Crystal structure of W (cubic, Im-3m (No. 229))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About Tungsten

Tungsten is a transition metal characterized by its robust metallic nature and remarkable thermodynamic stability. As an element that sits firmly on the convex hull, it exhibits structural integrity that makes it a foundational material in modern metallurgy and engineering. Its ability to maintain mechanical properties under extreme conditions is a defining feature of its atomic structure. Given its extensive documentation across numerous databases, it remains one of the most thoroughly understood and utilized elements in industrial science. It is primarily valued for its extreme density and resistance to heat, serving as a critical component in high-performance alloys and specialized electrical hardware.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for Tungsten, aggregated across 6 databases.

Band Gap

Metallic / not reported

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Stable
4 DFT sources

Structures

94
6 databases, 9 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of W. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.

Agreement Score

1.00 / 1.00
Trust tier: high

Hull Spread

0.000 eV
EAH spread across sources

Sources Compared

3
jarvis, materials_project, oqmd

Space Group Consensus

Mixed (most: Im-3m (No. 229))
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for W, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
Fm-3m (No. 225)cubic0.000.00000.474—
Pm-3n (No. 223)cubic0.000.00000.097—
Im-3m (No. 229)cubic0.000.0000-51.36819.16
Fm-3m (No. 225)cubic0.000.00000.474—
Im-3m (No. 229)cubic0.000.00000.000—
Pm-3n (No. 223)cubic0.000.00000.097—
Im-3m (No. 229)cubic0.000.00000.000—
Im-3m (No. 229)cubic0.000.00000.000—
Im-3m (No. 229)cubic0.000.0000-0.557—
——0.000.00020.000—
——0.000.08940.089—
——0.000.10850.109—
Uses

Applications

Where Tungsten is used.

Incandescent light bulb filamentsHigh-speed steel alloysRadiation shieldingTungsten inert gas welding electrodesAerospace components
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Tungsten, answered from cross-validated data.

What is W?

Tungsten is a dense, stable transition metal widely recognized for its superior heat resistance and strength in industrial applications.

More questions
What is W used for?
Tungsten (W) is used in incandescent light bulb filaments, high-speed steel alloys, radiation shielding, tungsten inert gas welding electrodes, and aerospace components.
What is the band gap of W?
The reported DFT structures of Tungsten (W) show no band gap. Standard DFT often misses gaps (especially in transition-metal oxides), so this is not proof the real material is a metal.
Is W a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
DFT calculations predict no band gap. Standard DFT can miss gaps, so measurements are needed to confirm metallic behavior.
Is W thermodynamically stable?
Yes — Tungsten (W) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. stable.
What is the crystal structure of W?
The reference structure of Tungsten (W) is cubic symmetry, space group Im-3m (No. 229).
What is the density of W?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of Tungsten (W) is 19.16 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of W are known?
94 structures of W are reported across 6 databases, spanning 9 distinct space groups.
What elements does W contain?
Tungsten (W) contains W (1 element).
Where does the data for W come from?
W data is cross-referenced from jarvis, materials_project, oqmd.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a pure elemental metal, tungsten serves as a benchmark for high-temperature durability and structural stability within the broader landscape of metallic elements.

Data sources & attribution
  • jarvis — Data from JARVIS (jarvis.nist.gov), NIST. Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020). (LicenseRef-US-Gov-PD)
  • materials_project — Data from the Materials Project (materialsproject.org). Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013). (CC-BY-4.0)
  • oqmd — Data from the OQMD (oqmd.org). Cite: Saal et al., JOM 65, 1501 (2013); Kirklin et al., npj Comp. Mater. 1, 15010 (2015). (CC-BY-4.0)

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