tungsten alloy

[seppos]

I stumbled to one interesting article about tungsten and other metals..
http://www.springerlink.com/content/v201202376057578/
If the conclution is correct it might give quite interesting perspectives to bullet and shot alloy:s..
Powdered tungsten in tin or maybe lead..???

S

[BABore]

Tungsten is extremely hard and very brittle. Not something I would want in a barrel. They get away with tungdten matrix shot and steel shot, in shotgun bbls. with special wads and teflon wraps.

[runfiverun]

tungsten, iron,nickel,tin is also used in shotgun loads.
but as ba pointed out costs are rediculous.
if you look at simple steel shot loads then the price af premium waterfowl loads versus what lead shot loads cost you'll see a marked difference.
mostly due to the shot,and the shotcups.
the price of tungsten is also in no way even affected by the minimal amount bought for shooting.

[seppos]

Yes.. That is what I am talking about.. If for example it is possible to make a tin/tungsten alloy or lead tungsten alloy for casting, that would offer a bit cheaper option for those who cast they own shots for shootgun..
Also.. If that same alloy would work as a core for swaged bullet, then it would be possible to make heavier bullet and boost up the BC of them..

S

[BABore]

You guys are missing the point. You can't melt tungsten into lead to form an alloy. It's used for GTAW (TIG) electrodes and melts at over 3,400 C. That's centigrade. When used in shot it's kind of glued together in a powdered metal/polymer matrix. And as mentioned above, the shot is protected from bbl contact by the special wad and teflon wrap.

Tungsten has a Mohs's hardness scale of around 7.5 which is about the same as quartz. Metals are not commonly listed on this type of hardness scale, but softer steel would be around 4 and heat treated steel would be around 8. Barrel steel I would guestimate at around 5-6.

So, bottom line is you can't alloy it with lead. At best it could be added in a powdered form. This would result in a boolit with very good abrasive qualities against a steel bbl. A tungsten core, surrounded by lead, has probably been done before. IIRC the Abrams tank round has a penetrator round something like this.

[seppos]

Could be.. But according to that study that I posted, it should disolve with tin..
In another tread tere is talks about melting copper to the lead using tin as aid.
Maybe it works the same way..
I dont argue, just rise an idea. And dam shure will test it if i just have some tungsten powder to work with.

S

[runfiverun]

there is a product called heavy shot.
i cannot recall it's makeup but it is heavier than lead.
B.A. is correct in the bonding issues, tungsten is/was used as the fillaments in lightbulbs.
not sure if it still is.
a tin bismuth lead alloy could be a better option, but bismuth is brittle the tin is added to it to take the brittleness out.
bismuth will alloy with lead but makes it very brittle also [much more than antimony].
you may be able to alloy some tungsten with lead by tinning it but i am not sure of the benefits or even how much is soluble.
it could act like copper does if you have too much and freeze your spout or just plain not make good boolits.
if i were to try it i'd go for something like a 1/4 maybe a 1/2 % at most.

[lwknight]

I think you would have pure tungsten granules tinned and suspended in the lead.
Sorta like sand in molasses.