How to find the right Tungsten Wire AI guide
Written by an AI model from its trained knowledge.
What the AI looks for in Tungsten Wire
- Purity and doping
- Use 99.95% pure wire for general use. Use potassium-doped (non-sag) wire for filaments. Use thoriated or lanthanated wire for electron emission. Doping controls sag and emission at temperature.
- Atmosphere
- Run hot tungsten wire only in vacuum or inert gas. In air it oxidizes and burns through quickly at incandescent temperatures.
- Diameter vs resistance
- Size the diameter from the resistance and current your supply provides. Too fine a wire burns out, and too thick a wire won't reach temperature.
- Brittleness
- Bend it gently, warm if possible. Recrystallized wire (after heating) becomes very brittle. Used or annealed wire snaps when you reshape it.
- Cleaning
- Clean wire for vacuum use, with no drawing lubricant residue (black wire still has graphite coating). Residue outgasses and contaminates vacuum systems.
Brands that matter
- Midwest Tungsten Service: Stocks pure and doped tungsten wire for lab use.
- Plansee: Industrial maker of refractory wire.
What to avoid
- Hot-wire foam cutters made of tungsten. Nichrome works in air, and tungsten burns out.
- Wire listings with no stated diameter or purity.
Questions
Can I make a heating element in air from tungsten wire?
No. Tungsten oxidizes rapidly at red heat in air. Use nichrome or Kanthal-type wire for open-air heaters.