Tungsten for Radiation Shielding and Counterweights
Density-driven applications where tungsten replaces lead and depleted uranium — shielding, balance weights and loaded composites, served by the coarse metal powder grades.
Discuss your requirementOverview
This is the one family of tungsten applications bought almost entirely on bulk density rather than on metallurgical behaviour. At 19.25 g/cm³, tungsten is roughly 1.7 times as dense as lead and close to depleted uranium, without the toxicity of the first or the regulatory burden of the second. That substitution argument is what drives the market.
Because these applications are not sintering-critical, they behave differently from tooling markets in a way that matters to specification. Fine grain size buys nothing here, and can actively hurt: fine powders flow poorly, cost more per kilogram, and pick up more oxygen in storage. The coarse grades are both cheaper and better suited.
The practical consequence is that Jayanth Tungsten's 8–10 µm and 12–15 µm F.S.S.S. grades, at apparent densities of 5.1 and 6.2 g/cc, are the normal specification for this vertical. Purity remains W min. 99.85% with oxygen max. 0.06%, as for every grade we ship.
Products for this market
Tungsten Metal Powder (W)
Coarse grades at 8–10 and 12–15 µm F.S.S.S. give the packing density and flow that filler and shielding applications need, at the lowest cost per kilogram of tungsten.
Full specificationsWhere it is used
Radiation shielding
Tungsten-loaded shielding is used in medical imaging, industrial radiography and nuclear handling equipment, particularly where lead is restricted on toxicity grounds or where space is tight. Higher density means a thinner shield for equivalent attenuation, which is often the deciding factor in portable and wearable equipment.
Counterweights and balance weights
Aerospace control surfaces, motorsport ballast, crankshaft balancing and vibration damping all need mass in a small volume. Tungsten lets a designer place the required mass where geometry actually allows, rather than compromising the design around a bulkier lead weight.
Polymer and resin loaded composites
Tungsten powder dispersed in polymer or epoxy produces a dense, mouldable composite for shielding sheet, vibration damping and weighted components. Coarse grades disperse more readily and are less prone to agglomeration in the matrix.
High-density alloys
W-Ni-Fe and W-Ni-Cu heavy alloys are pressed and liquid-phase sintered from tungsten powder blended with binder metals, reaching 17–18.5 g/cm³. Grain size here is chosen to suit the blending and consolidation route rather than a fixed sintering target.
How to specify
Specify coarse, not fine
Fine F.S.S.S. grades cost more and bring no benefit where the application is density-driven. Start at 8–10 µm and move to 12–15 µm unless something in your process argues otherwise.
Apparent density is the number that matters
For filler and composite work, apparent density predicts how much tungsten you fit into a given volume far better than grain size does. Our coarse grades run 5.1 and 6.2 g/cc.
Oxygen still matters if you sinter
Loaded composites can tolerate more oxygen than sintered parts. If you are making heavy alloy rather than a filled polymer, hold to the oxygen maximum as you would for any sintering application.
Buy on delivered cost per kilogram of tungsten
This vertical is price-sensitive and specification-tolerant, so comparing landed cost per kilogram across suppliers is more useful here than in tooling markets — provided purity is genuinely equivalent.
Shielding and counterweights — frequently asked questions
Why use tungsten instead of lead for radiation shielding?
Density and toxicity. Tungsten is about 1.7 times denser than lead, so an equivalent shield is thinner and lighter, which matters in portable and wearable equipment. It also avoids the handling, disposal and regulatory issues that increasingly restrict lead.
Which grade should I specify for counterweights?
The coarse grades — 8–10 µm or 12–15 µm F.S.S.S., at 5.1 and 6.2 g/cc apparent density. Fine grades cost more and offer no advantage in a density-driven application.
Can tungsten powder be used in polymer composites?
Yes, and it is a common route for shielding sheet and weighted components. Coarser grades disperse more readily in polymer and epoxy matrices and are less prone to agglomerating.
What purity do you supply for these applications?
W min. 99.85% with oxygen max. 0.06%, the same as every grade we ship. Purity is not usually the binding constraint in density-driven applications, but the certificate states it regardless.