What is Titanium Metal?
Nickel
Because it is naturally occurring, it must be mined from deep within the earth instead of synthetically created in a lab. Called nickel ore, there are two main types of ore deposits: laterites, which are mainly composed of nickeliferous limonite and garnierite, and magmatic sulfide deposits, which are primarily composed of the ore mineral pentlandite.
In general, nickel has a silvery-white color, high toughness, is ferromagnetic and has excellent resistance to corrosion and rust. Some of its additional beneficial properties include its malleability, ductility, alloy-ability and high heat resistance—it has a melting point of 1453 degrees Celsius.
History
Though nickel wasn’t officially discovered until the late 18th century, it got its name back in the 15th century. Its name comes from the Saxon term “Kupfernickel,” which means “Devil’s copper.” It earned this off-putting name from miners, who thought the metal, which is reddish-brown like copper, was 1) too hard to mine and 2) poisonous. Yes, the miners were being poisoned! However, it was not the nickel that was doing it, but arsenic.
Tungsten
Tungsten is a naturally occurring metal. Its atomic number on the periodic table is 74, and it is sometimes known as “wolfram.” The main mineral from which it is derived is wolframite ore. From wolframite, tungsten gets its letter on the periodic table, W. In addition to wolframite, tungsten can be derived from the mineral scheelite. Tungsten’s coloring varies from a steel gray to a tin white. Tungsten is known for its tensile strength, high density and extreme temperature resistance. It has the highest melting point (6192 °F) and lowest vapor pressure of any known non-alloyed metal. Also, it is the heaviest chemical element considered usable.
Tungsten metals and alloys are very electrically and thermally conductive, making them useful in electrical applications. They also have excellent resistance to corrosion. Despite these unique and useful properties, tungsten is very brittle in its raw material state and can be hard to work with, especially under pressure.
