Molybdenum is a very hard, pure element with an extremely high melting point of around 2620°C, it has a high thermal conductivity and is corrosive resistant to glass and other metals.
Applications include; sintering trays and boats, charge carriers, aerospace parts, plasma spraying nozzles and electrodes, sputtering targets, furnace components, glass stirrers, and medical parts.
Tantalum is generally made from sintering the powdered ore to produce a metal with an extremely high melting point of approximately 2990°C. It has an excellent resistance to corrosion against molten metals and liquids, is biocompatible and has very high conductivity.
Applications include; heat exchanger tubes, charge carriers, capacitors, electrodes and grounding rings, jet engine parts, missile parts and vacuum furnace parts.
Niobium has a similar structure to Tantalum and is produced in a similar method. It too has a very high melting point of around 2470°C. It has excellent corrosive resistance and has good cold ductility. It is however half as dense as Tantalum.
Applications include; sintering trays and boats, special chemical applications, superconductors, medical components, jet engine parts and is used in the lighting industry.
Tungsten has the highest melting point of these refractory metals at 3422°C. It is very robust and has an extremely high tensile strength; it has the ability to be drawn into very thin wires. Tungsten’s corrosion resistance is also very good.
Applications include; lighting elements, X-ray targets, heating elements, missile components, and due to its high density is used as counter weights.
Zirconium is a lustrous, greyish-white, soft, ductile, and malleable, it is highly resistant to corrosion by alkalis, acids, salt water, and other agents. The melting point of zirconium is approx 1855°C
Applications include; laboratory crucibles, metallurgical furnaces, surgical appliances, missile components and vacuum tube filaments.
