2080 – 11 – Understanding Other Exotic Metals

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A lot of other exotic metals are used in a wide variety of specialized applications. Tungsten, vanadium, and molybdenum are used in alloys because of their specialized characteristics.

Tungsten has the highest melting point of any non-alloy, so it is often mixed into superalloys to raise their melting point. Tungsten itself is a very dense metal, but it’s extremely brittle. It can be found in heat sinks, light bulb filaments, and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) electrodes.

Vanadium is both ductile and malleable. It can be added to a superalloy to enhance the strength of different metals, like securing titanium to steel.

Molybdenum’s physical properties don’t alter drastically much when the metal is exposed to severe temperatures. Perfect for things like jet engines, molybdenum is also less expensive than tungsten.