# Where can I buy thin Tungsten strips/sheets? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 14, 2009, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-thin-tungsten-strips-sheets/493040 "2009-04-14T05:42:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-thin-tungsten-strips-sheets/493040/1 "2009-04-14T05:42:11Z")
I know tungsten welding rods are readily available, but I need something thinner. Is there any industry where thin pieces of tungsten (ribbon, sheet, foil) are readily available for a reasonable cost? Something under 1mm (0.04") and over 0.1mm (0.004") would be perfect. I’ve contacted vendors that sell specialized metals but they want several hundred dollars for a single 12x12x0.01" sheet. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-thin-tungsten-strips-sheets/493040/2 "2009-04-14T06:07:00Z")
[http://www.torreyhillstech.com/mowshoponline.html?gclid=COD49YbY75kCFRBbagod8z-bQg](http://www.torreyhillstech.com/mowshoponline.html?gclid=COD49YbY75kCFRBbagod8z-bQg) These guys will sell you a 6" x 6" x 0.012" sheet for $40. I doubt it gets much cheaper. Google tungsten foil and you’ll get lots of vendors. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-thin-tungsten-strips-sheets/493040/3 "2009-04-14T16:01:19Z")
Cool, thanks! I thought I _did_ do a pretty thorough google search but hadn’t found any with the price listed, and the few companies I contacted quoted much higher numbers. I suppose this is lower purity but that’s fine for my purposes… ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-thin-tungsten-strips-sheets/493040/4 "2009-04-14T16:17:49Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > Cool, thanks! I thought I _did_ do a pretty thorough google search but hadn’t found any with the price listed, and the few companies I contacted quoted much higher numbers. I suppose this is lower purity but that’s fine for my purposes… Are you doing stuff in a vacuum chamber by any chance? ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-thin-tungsten-strips-sheets/493040/5 "2009-04-14T17:25:29Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Are you doing stuff in a vacuum chamber by any chance? Sort of. I want to try it as an electrode in a laboratory discharge lamp. The lamp is under moderate vacuum (10[sup]-3[/sup] torr range). Why, would that make a difference in material selection? ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-thin-tungsten-strips-sheets/493040/6 "2009-04-14T17:35:49Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > Sort of. I want to try it as an electrode in a laboratory discharge lamp. The lamp is under moderate vacuum (10[sup]-3[/sup] torr range). Why, would that make a difference in material selection? We used to use tungsten sheet in a vacuum chamber to vaporize aluminum onto telescope mirrors. Tungsten wire coils worked nearly as well. You can get those wire coils outa hair dryers, space heaters, hot plates, aquarium heaters… Hit the junk pile or local flea market and you’ll get more tungsten wire than you will know what to do with. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-thin-tungsten-strips-sheets/493040/8 "2012-06-30T03:05:17Z")
Reported.