Tungsten cubes have become the newest craze on the internet recently. Google results are showing an increase of 95% in search volumes surrounding tungsten cubes. And the chances are that people searching for these cubes are either looking to find out what is so special about these heavy cubes, where to buy them, or what they are.
Lucky for you, we’ll be going over all of these questions right here. So even if you just happened to stumble on these cubes from a meme, we can bring you up to speed.
Why Are Tungsten Cubes So Popular?
Let’s start off with the most obvious question in your mind, why are these tungsten cubes so popular? And the truth is that no one really knows why these cubes are so popular, to begin with. However, there is a timeline of events leading up to these cubes becoming so popular, and it starts with a rumor.
A rumor spread in the crypto community that there was going to be a shortage of Tungsten Cubes soon. Of course, the crypto community is always looking to make as much money as they can in as little time as possible. So they quickly made their way in and started to “invest” in these desktop tungsten cubes.
A lot of the early hype and rising sales for companies came through the crypto community. People eventually realized that it was just a rumor, but that did nothing to quell the hype. Instead, there were now other factors fueling the original hype. Now that people had their hands on this rare metal, they wanted to test out how strong it was.
Influencers on various social media sites started to talk about the cube and how it was technically indestructible. People were throwing these heavy cubes from massive heights, and some were even trying to melt them. But since the melting point for tungsten is 3400°C, it is almost impossible to melt it outside of a lab.
This quickly created a domino effect of people wanting to try out themselves, which led to where we are now. Everyone wanted to find out about what made these cubes special, and the best way to do that was to buy their very own.
Why are they so Expensive?
If you happened to look online for tungsten cubes, you might have noticed how expensive they can be. A four-inch block can set you back almost $3,000. And although smaller ones can also be cheaper, they can still be fairly expensive. A one-inch cube can be as expensive as $100.
And a lot of their price has to do with the purity of the alloy and its composition. Most recreational cubes in the market right now are tungsten alloys that focuses on weight and density. Their price can also depend on their size, as the larger cubes tend to be much heavier. Even cubes as small as 1.5 inches can weigh 2.2 lbs.
Tungsten cubes that are over 95% pure happen to be the most expensive. Since tungsten itself is a rare metal, making almost completely pure cubes can be pricey. Therefore, the final product’s price reflects how expensive it can be. The price of a tungsten cube continues to rise with its size. Therefore, the bigger the cube, the denser and pricier it will be.
How are Tungsten Cubes so Strong?
One of the main reasons why tungsten is so strong is thanks to its atoms. All elements consist of atoms, which join together to give structure and shape to said element. Therefore, the size of the atoms will dictate an element’s overall strength.
Furthermore, these atoms form metallic bonds, which are the strongest ones that an atom can create. And by fusing with each other, they can become very strong and durable. Tungsten on its own can be a little squishy and feel strange to hold. But when companies combine different metals to it, they create alloys that are much stronger. So even when comparing it to other metals, tungsten manages to stand in a league of its own.
Diamond cutting equipment is the most effective tool to cut through tungsten carbide, the strongest alloy of this specific metal. But even when using equipment specifically used to cut diamonds, it can take up to ten minutes to cut through.
This alloy has plenty of uses in different types of weapons and space exploration equipment. The military uses tungsten carbide in missiles and bullets, as it can withstand very high temperatures. Space exploration companies also make use of tungsten for the exhaust tips of a space shuttle. Its higher resistance to very hot temperatures means that it can easily withstand the heat produced during lift-off.
Tungsten’s incredible endurance towards heat was also a major contributor in the quest for making the light bulb. Electricity could pass through the filament so fast that it would heat up and produce a warm yellowish light.
What Makes it so Special?
There are a lot of factors that work in conjunction to make tungsten cubes so popular. They are durable and incredibly resistant to heat. People have been able to drop these cubes from heights of over 40 meters, only to see that it does not have a single scratch on them.
Another factor that added to the overall appeal of these tungsten cubes is the meme surrounding them. Since these were rare and expensive, having a desktop tungsten cube can be an interesting conversational piece. And it can make for a very nice decoration piece as well.
Where can you Buy it?
So if reading about these heavy cubes has piqued your interest, then you might be considering buying a tungsten cube yourself. Whether as a conversational piece or to see what makes it so special, you can find these heavy cubes at Mammoth Metallurgy. We offer tungsten alloy cubes in a variety of sizes, bigger and heavier than the last.
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