Tungsten is one of the hardest metals known to man. However, whether tungsten is magnetic or not still remains a matter that remains confusing.
Let’s look at some fundamental aspects of magnetism in tungsten.
Is Tungsten Magnetic
Tungsten is not magnetic under typical circumstances. It can, however, be described as weakly magnetic.
This is because it has unpaired electrons in its particles which causes it to display paramagnetism. This is a result of these electrons aligning towards a magnetic field which is characterized by weak attraction to magnets.
Why Tungsten Experiences Paramagnetic Properties
Paramagnetism is a type of magnetism in which elements with this property exhibit weak attraction towards an external influence of a magnetic field. Internal magnetic fields are created as a result of the alignment of unpaired electrons as they fall toward the external pull.
Again, you should note that tungsten has unpaired electrons in its outer shells. When introduced to an external field these particular electrons shift themselves in the direction of the influence.
This alignment results in a slight attraction towards the magnetic field. They revert to a neutral state once the external magnetic field is removed.
Dipole Moment in Tungsten
Tungsten has unpaired electrons in the outermost shell, which also has a permanent dipole moment. The dipole moment refers to the quantification of the strength of the electric dipole. This permanent electric dipole moment is what gives the element its paramagnetism. This parameter is measured in units of debye.
Magnetic Properties of Tungsten
Magnetic elements commonly referred to as ferromagnetic elements are characterized by unpaired electrons. Tungsten also has electrons that are unpaired in its outer shell which allows it to display some form of magnetism.
The electron shifts towards an external magnetic field creating an electric moment which causes it to have a slight attraction to a magnetic field.
Tungsten, however also has dipoles that shift in the opposite direction of the external influence which prevents it from being magnetic. This causes it to display paramagnetism.
Are Tungsten Alloys Magnetic
Tungsten alloys can display magnetism depending on the metal they are fused with. The alloys are fused with a variety of trace elements alongside a main metal.
As a matter of fact, you can use tungsten to make many alloys which may have varying magnetic properties.
For example, Tungsten steel is magnetic because it contains steel that comprises ferromagnetic iron. This also contains trace amounts of vanadium and molybdenum along with at least 8% of tungsten.
Tungsten carbide can also display magnetism depending on the other metals used in the alloying process. Tungsten carbide requires bonding metal to properly fuse and the choice of the metal influences its magnetic properties. If cobalt or iron is incorporated into the alloy, then it will have magnetic properties on the other hand if nickel is used then it will have n magnetic properties.
Factors that Affect Tungsten Magnetism
There are a few factors that affect the magnetic ability of tungsten. These factors include;
- Temperature: This factor relies on Curie’s law, which links the magnetic susceptibility of paramagnetic materials to temperature as inversely proportional. An increase in temperature decreases susceptibility which leads to a reduced magnetic response. Low temperatures have the opposite effect increasing the magnetic properties of tungsten.
- Applied magnetic field: External magnetic field influences the orientation of the electrons in tungsten. Strong fields allow the element to gain temporary weak magnetic abilities that are lost once the field is removed.
- Binder content: for tungsten alloys, binder elements are used to fuse the different elements. For example, Cobalt is known to heighten these properties whereas nickel dampens the already limited effect rendering the element non-magnetic.
- Composition: The exact makeup of the element with regards to the number of unpaired electrons as well as dipoles present and their alignment directly influences the magnetic properties of the tungsten.
Can you Magnetize Tungsten
One way to magnetize tungsten is to amalgamate it using elements with magnetic elements. Using iron or cobalt will cause tungsten to become magnetic. When exposed to a powerful magnetic field tungsten can become temporarily magnetized. Low temperatures also increase the magnetic properties of tungsten.
Is Tungsten Carbide Magnetic?
Tungsten carbide is not magnetic but can have magnetic properties depending on the bonding element used to fuse the alloy. Bonding elements such as cobalt or iron can be used to make the tungsten carbide magnetic.
Conclusion
Tungsten is not magnetic. Its alloys on the other hand can be magnetic depending on the metals used in the amalgamation. The presence of unpaired electrons makes it susceptible to magnetism.