From perplexity.ai:
Have rare is tungsten?
Tungsten is considered a relatively rare metal in the Earth's crust, with an average abundance of about 1.25–1.5 parts per million (ppm) by weight, making it significantly rarer than common elements like iron or aluminum, but similar in abundance to tin and molybdenum.?
Crustal Abundance
The estimated amount of tungsten in Earth's crust is about 1.25–1.5 ppm, or roughly 1.3–1.5 grams per ton of rock.?
Tungsten ranks around the 58th most abundant element in the Earth's crust, placing it in the upper range of rare metals.?
Comparison with Other Metals
Tungsten is about as abundant as tin and molybdenum, but only half as abundant as uranium.?
Its rarity is similar to elements such as rhenium and terbium, which tend to be found at low concentrations.?
Geographical and Economic Aspects
Most of the world’s tungsten reserves are found in China, which leads global production, followed by Vietnam, Russia, Canada, and Bolivia.?
Tungsten is extracted mainly from the minerals wolframite and scheelite, both of which are considered significant sources for mining.?
Practical Rarity
Despite being somewhat rare, the available resources are considered sufficient for current industrial and technological needs, though extraction and processing are challenging compared to more abundant metals.?
Annual global production is approximately 50,000 tons, with strategic importance during wartime or for specialized industrial use.?
In summary, tungsten is not extremely scarce, but it is categorized as a rare metal due to its low crustal abundance and limited mining locations.? |
