Tungsten
Wolframio (W, Z=74)
- Date
- 1783 · confidence high
- Place
- Royal Seminary of Bergara, Guipúzcoa, Spain
- Credited to
- Juan José and Fausto Elhuyar
- People
- 👤 Fausto Delhuyar1755–1833👤 Juan José Delhuyar1754–1796
- Field
- Matter & energy
What was discovered
The Elhuyar brothers isolated the metal by reducing tungstic acid obtained from wolframite with charcoal; Scheele had identified the acid in 1781.
The only element first isolated in Spain; the name 'tungsten' comes from Swedish.
What it led to
- Incandescent light bulb filaments
- Tungsten carbide for tools
- Welding electrodes and shielding
Built on
- Scheele's tungstic acid
- Basque Society of Friends of the Country
Made possible
- Tungsten-filament light bulb
- Tungsten carbide (Widia)