Tungsten Alloy Plate 

Tungsten Alloy Plate 

Tungsten heavy alloys (WHAs) are tungsten alloys that typically contain 90 to 98 wt% W. The majority of commercially available tungsten alloys are two-phase. Most commercially available machinable tungsten alloys have a two-phase structure, with the main phase being almost pure tungsten combined with a bond containing transition metals and dissolved tungsten. The basic properties of WHAs therefore derive from the properties of the main tungsten phase, which provides high density and high elastic stiffness. It is these two properties that have given rise to this range of material applications.

The most satisfactory current use of WHAs for most applications is the W-Ni-Fe system. For example, 90WNiFe and 95WNilFe represent common compositions. The addition of cobalt to W-Ni-Fe is a common method of slightly increasing strength and ductility. The presence of cobalt provides solid solution strengthening of the binder and slightly increases the interfacial strength of the tungsten matrix. Cobalt additions of 5% to 15% of the nominal binder weight fraction are most common.

Current uses of tungsten alloys (WHAs) cover a wide range of consumer, industrial, and government applications, including:

Damping counterweights for computer disc drive heads

Balancing counterweights for commercial aircraft ailerons, helicopter rotors and guided missiles.

Kinetic energy armor-piercing rounds for defeating heavy armor

Fragmentation warheads

Radiation shielding, radioisotope containers and collimation holes for cancer treatment devices

High performance lead-free waterfowl hunting guns.

Gyroscope components

Weight distribution adjustment for sailboats and racing cars.

Many applications require high weight densities for counterweights, inertial masses, or kinetic energy penetrators, or high radiographic densities for radiation shielding and collimation, and therefore require fairly large volume shapes. Based on high cost, this requirement rules out all but a few candidate alloys, often reducing the choice of very dense alloys to tungsten- or uranium-based materials.

Advantages of Tungsten Alloy Sheet:

-High density.

-Excellent mechanical properties such as high damping capacity and high Young’s modulus.

-Excellent radiation shielding properties

-High thermal conductivity and low coefficient of thermal expansion

-Higher high temperature strength and thermal shock resistance

-High oxidation and corrosion resistance

**We offer tungsten based alloys in customized dimensions and properties.

Table 1.  Properties of tungsten alloy ( AMS-T-21014 )

                                                                                                                                                                                                     
Table 2.  Mechanical Properties – Minimum Value ( AMS-T-21014 )

• Aerospace | Thomas Mitchell (USA)

How an aerospace procurement manager sourced 99.97% pure tungsten rods with custom specs and received delivery in half the expected lead time… Read Full Case Study

• Automotive | Marco Rossi (Italy)

How a car modification expert used custom CNC-machined tungsten alloy weights to fine-tune a vintage sports car’s handling—just in time for a major auto show… Read Full Case Study

• Electronics | Dr. Elena Carter (Canada)

How a semiconductor engineer replaced aluminum with MoCu heat sinks, improving thermal performance by 20°C while meeting aerospace-grade standards…  Read Full Case Study

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What are tungsten heavy alloy plates used for?

A1: Tungsten heavy alloy plates are widely used in aerospace counterweights, military components, medical radiation shielding, high-temperature tooling, and industrial die plates, thanks to their extreme density and thermal resistance.

Q2: What are the available grades or classes for tungsten alloy plates?

A2: The plates conform to AMS-T-21014 standards and are available in the following classes:

• Class 1: 90% W, density 16.85–17.25 g/cm³, max hardness HRC 32
• Class 2: 92.5% W, density 17.15–17.85 g/cm³, HRC 33
• Class 3: 95% W, density 17.75–18.35 g/cm³, HRC 34
• Class 4: 97% W, density 18.25–18.85 g/cm³, HRC 35

Higher tungsten content increases density and radiation shielding effectiveness.

Q3: How does tungsten alloy plate compare to lead or steel?

A3: Tungsten alloy is nearly twice as dense as steel and significantly more durable and non-toxic than lead, making it ideal for compact and safe weight-based applications.

Q4: Is it possible to customize the thickness and dimensions of the plates?

A4: Yes. FOTMA manufactures plates in a range of sizes and thicknesses based on customer specifications or engineering drawings.

Q5: Are these plates machinable for precision applications?

A5: Absolutely. Tungsten heavy alloy plates offer good machinability relative to their density and can be precisely shaped for use in dies, jigs, and heat-resistant tooling.