These elements display several of the characteristic properties of refractory metals that have made them and their alloys so valuable in a wide range of industrial applications. These include high melting point, high density and exceptional resistance to wear and tear and to various forms of corrosion.
Tungsten rod, the powdered form of the metal, and various alloys are now being used in a growing range of applications. With its incredibly high melting point of around 3410 °C, it is, for example, the ideal choice of material from which to construct the containers and related equipment necessary for the smelting of other metals.
An alternative means by which to fashion materials into some desired form, sintering makes use of heat and pressure to compact and bind particles together without the need to actually liquefy them. The use of this type of procedure is particularly valuable in the case of elements such as tungsten.