You're viewing a single thread.
This could possibly be the worst possible prize. Raw tungsten isn’t actually that expensive. What’s expensive is working with it as it melts 3,410c (6,170f) isn’t very malleable and is heavy like really really heavy to move this block you will probably need larger equipment than standard industrial moving equipment, bigger trucks and loaders also you’ll need to get the city's permission to haul it on the roads , that alone is probably going to cost more than the cube is worth you will then have to pay a monthly storage fee until someone wants to buy it. Shouldn’t be that long right? It’s a valuable metal… well good luck finding a company that works with tungsten outside of china, and you absolutely can not ship it. But let’s assume you find someone who wants it(at a considerable discount) well now you have to higher the specialized movers again.
EDIT:
Actually I just did the math and plugged in all the known values I could find and assuming you could sell it within the first year you could probably make $700,000, so it would still be well worth it. But a lot of trouble.
I wonder if there's a foundry in the world with a crucible that can hold, melt, and pour that much tungsten? To make a 5 foot solid cube.
Then imagine trying to machine the damn thing square.
Rocket nozzles are commonly made of tungsten, there are more than a few manufacturers in the US. Drill bits can be made of tungsten carbide. Armor piercing weapons use tungsten too. All of these have industries in the US.
Drill bits are coated in tungsten carbide. Sometimes. There are a variety of coatings.
The drill bits you're buying at the big box store are high speed still with some kind of coating to help them last a little longer. The specialty drill bits you're buying for working on metal are also HSS with a different coating and probably different tip geometry.
End mills are milling/lathe inserts can be HSS or carbide, also with some tungsten coating. Importantly, these are sintered, and made out of dust.
Tungsten carbide is waaaay too brittle to work as a drill bit.
Like, no. All sorts of carbide bits, including drill bits.
Lot of tungsten producers and recyclers in the US, kennemetal for instance. They would be happy to come get that cube, might have to crack it into smaller pieces.
https://drillbitsusa.com/product-category/solid-carbide-drill-bits/
You don't use solid carbide drill bits with a hand drill but with mills and cnc machines.
Spoken like a true tungsten connoisseur.
The company I worked for made tungsten nozzles, they had to be welded using atomic hydrogen welding. One day a bottle of hydrogen shows up and receiving rejected it, we had the supplier label it protium and it went right through.
Can you expand on why it can't be shipped?
Real answer is that it's obscenely heavy
The Catholic Church passed an edict worldwide banning the shipping of tungsten cubes larger than half a cubic meter in volume
That would violate the Treaty of Versailles
It'd weigh 75 tons assuming that to be 5ft x 5ft x 5ft
but what if I want one 🥺
Then good news you can buy it! But you’ll have to commission it’s very specialized construction, and pay to have it shipped across seas… you know that thing I said you absolutely could not do, well with money all things are possible.
too bad, no giant cube of tungsten 4 u