TUNGSTEN HEAVY ALLOY MATERIAL
US Made Tungsten Heavy Alloy (WHA). Elmet is a 100% US owned, fully integrated, leading producer of high-quality tungsten heavy alloy material and finished parts. Elmet is ISO, AS9100, and ITAR registered and a qualified supplier to many Tier 1/2 aerospace and defense contractors that leverage our specialty tungsten material as balance weights, flight hardware, and munition subcomponents. Our tungsten heavy alloy meets all ASTM B-777, AMS 7725E, and MIL-T-21014D requirements.
Elmet Technologies presses and sinters high-quality tungsten heavy alloy (WHA) blocks, rods, and shaped parts. Sintered WHA blanks can be further rolled or swaged by Elmet to produce plates, sheets, and rods with ultimate tensile strengths exceeding 180 ksi (1240 MPa) and elongations exceeding 5%. Elmet also precision machines WHA parts for use as ballast weights, radiation shields, boring bars, ordnance components, and other components that require high density and good ductility.
Elmet produces its own pure tungsten powder at its facility in Lewiston, Maine and has large blending and alloying capabilities.
Our Powder Metallurgy Process
Applications for Tungsten Heavy Alloy (WHA):
- Balance Weights for turbines, crankshafts, and helicopter rotors
- Inertial damping weights for aircraft control surfaces
- Weights for aircraft, missiles, boats, and race cars
- Kinetic energy penetrators
- Radiation Shielding, radioisotope containers, and collimators for high energy x-ray systems in scientific, industrial, medical, and homeland security applications
- Low chatter, high stiffness boring bars and tool holder for metalworking
- High-density instrument casings for downhole formation logging in oil/gas wells
- Vibration Dampening Weights
What Benefits are Associated with WHA?
- Strength proportionate to many medium carbon steels
- Machinable with routine shop tools and techniques
- High elastic stiffness
- Low CTE in combination with relatively high thermal conductivity
- Low toxicity, low reactivity surface character
- Can be manufactured in a wide range of sizes and shapes
- Environmentally friendly
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND AS-SINTERED MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
STANDARD GRADES
Grade | ET90 | ET90NM | ET92.5 | ET92.5NM | ET93 | ET95 | ET95NM | ET97 |
ASTM B-777 | Class 1 | Class 1 | Class 2 | Class 2 | – | Class 3 | Class 3 | Class 4 |
AMS 7725E | Class 1 Type 2 | Class 1 Type 1 | Class 2 Type 2 | Class 2 Type 1 | – | Class 3 Type 2 | Class 3 Type 1 | Class 4 Type 2 |
MIL-T-21014D | Class 1 | Class 1 | Class 2 | Class 2 | – | Class 3 | Class 3 | Class 4 |
W content, wt.% | 90 | 90 | 92.5 | 92.5 | 93 | 95 | 95 | 97 |
Ni content, wt.% | 7.0 | 8.9 | 5.3 | 6.7 | 5.6 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 2.1 |
Fe content, wt.% | 3.0 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.9 |
Density, g/cm3 | 17.0 | 17.0 | 17.5 | 17.5 | 17.7 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 18.5 |
UTS, ksi | ≥ 110 | ≥ 110 | ≥ 110 | ≥ 110 | ≥ 110 | ≥ 105 | ≥ 105 | ≥ 100 |
UTS, MPa | ≥ 758 | ≥ 758 | ≥ 758 | ≥ 758 | ≥ 758 | ≥ 724 | ≥ 724 | ≥ 689 |
YS, ksi | ≥ 75 | ≥ 75 | ≥ 75 | ≥ 75 | ≥ 75 | ≥ 75 | ≥ 75 | ≥ 75 |
YS, MPa | ≥ 648 | ≥ 648 | ≥ 648 | ≥ 648 | ≥ 648 | ≥ 648 | ≥ 648 | ≥ 648 |
Elongation, % | ≥ 5 | ≥ 5 | ≥ 5 | ≥ 5 | ≥ 5 | ≥ 3 | ≥ 3 | ≥ 2 |
Hardness, HRC | ≤ 32 | ≤ 32 | ≤ 33 | ≤ 33 | ≤ 33 | ≤ 34 | ≤ 34 | ≤ 35 |
Mag. perm. | > 1.05 | ≤ 1.05 | > 1.05 | ≤ 1.05 | > 1.05 | > 1.05 | ≤ 1.05 | > 1.05 |
Critical Note:
- Other alloy compositions and properties may be available as a special order
- All WHA products are compliant with EU RoHS Directive 2002/95/EC, 2011/65/EU and with REACH Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006
- All WHA defense products are compliant with section 871 of the FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act, codified at 10 U.S.C. 2533c, and the January 28, 2019 acquisition directive from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense. Click here for a link to the NDAA guidance.
- All raw materials for Elmet’s WHA rod products are obtained from certified conflict-free sources
STANDARD WHA ASTM B-777, MIL-T-21014D PRODUCT SIZES
Blocks, sintered | 6.0” x 4.8” x 2.3” 4.6” x 3.4” x 2.1” 7.0” x 2.3” x 2.0” 6.0” x 1.5” x 1.5” | 150 mm x 120 mm x 57 mm 120 mm x 86 mm x 54 mm 180 mm x 58 mm x 51 mm 150 mm x 39 mm x 38 mm |
Rods, sintered | 0.5 to 1.0” in diameter Lengths up to 24” | 12.7 to 25.4 mm in diameter Lengths up to 610 mm |
Rods, swaged | 0.25 to 1.0” in diameter Lengths up to 48” | 6.35 to 25.4 mm in diameter Lengths up to 1219.2 mm |
Plate, hot rolled | 0.25 to 1.0” in thickness Widths and lengths up to 24” | 6.35 to 25.4 mm in thickness Widths and lengths up to 610 mm |
*Other sizes and properties available as special order
Pressed and Sintered Parts:
Elmet has industry-leading expertise and experience in pressing and sintering ASTM B-777 material. We offer both round and rectangle parts in the pressed and sintered state – which helps reduce cost to our customers.
Leading companies purchase Elmet-made tungsten heavy alloy material for applications such as ballast weights, radiation shields, boring bars, ordnance components and other components requiring high density and good ductility.
Please visit our online store for readily available WHA materials, here or contact Elmet to discuss your application.
Pressed and Sintered Machined Parts:
Elmet has industry-leading expertise and experience in pressing, sintering, and machining ASTM B-777 material. We can supply material finished to your drawing requirements. Elmet produces finished parts for medical equipment manufacturers, balance weights for aircraft, Vibration dampening weights for helicopter rotors to name a few current applications.
WHA Hot Swaged Rods with Enhanced Mechanical Properties:
Elmet is a leader of providing Tungsten Heavy Alloy (WHA) hot swaged rod material with enhanced properties. Elmet Technologies can adjust swaging and heat-treating conditions to produce WHA rods with specific combinations of strength and ductility.
Swaged Rods are produced in diameters <.25” to >1” based on customer requirements.
WHA rods are swaged and cut to size to customer-specified thickness, length, surface finish as well as other material properties. We also offer high volume, precision machining, threading, and gun-drilling services. As with all of our materials, our rod begins as metal powder, pressed into ingots, sintered, and then swaged and drawn down. Our advanced drawing / swaging process enables us to tailor the product to meet specific customer material and performance requirements to ensure optimal performance in your application.
Other alloy compositions and properties may be available as a special order.
WHA Hot Rolled Plate and Sheet Products:
Elmet has been hot rolling pure tungsten and molybdenum for over 80 years and is the only US-owned tungsten producer with hot rolling capabilities. Elmet offers a range of tungsten heavy alloy plate and tungsten heavy alloy sheet products in varying thickness and length and per our customer request. As with all of our materials, our WHA plate and sheet begins as metal powder, is pressed into ingots, sintered, and then rolled. The process enables us to tailor the product to meet specific customer material and/or performance requirements to ensure optimal performance in your application.
Hot Rolled WHA Plate and Sheet Standard Sizes:
- .080” to 1” thick. Widths and lengths available up to 24”
MORE INFORMATION:
Please contact one of our application specialists at (207) 358-4328 to find out more about our tungsten heavy alloy capabilities and sizes. Visit our online store to see what is available, here.