Massive tungsten deposit found

“3 Proton Lithium, a Nevada mining company, says it has identified what may be the largest known tungsten deposit in the United States, containing an estimated 1.78 million metric tons of the metal. If commercially recoverable, the contained tungsten would be equivalent to centuries of current US consumption,” reports The Doomslayer.

From Interesting Engineering:

A US critical minerals company has recently confirmed the nation’s largest known tungsten resource at its Railroad Valley Minerals Project in Nye County, Nevada, despite a NASA land withdrawal restricting exploration across part of the site.

In its updated resource report, 3 Proton Lithium (3PL) said that the project hosts an inferred resource of 1.78 million tons of tungsten. The company revealed that the deposit is part of a mineral system that also contains world-class resources of lithium, potash, and boron.

As per 3PL, the deposit is reportedly five times larger than the biggest tungsten resource currently listed in the US and comes at a time when the country relies heavily on imports for the strategic metal…

At current consumption rates, the resources could provide the U.S. with tungsten for hundreds of years, 3PL said.

These traits make it vital for heavy industry, mining, electronics, and defense. It is used in drill bits, saw blades, and mining machinery. It used in rocket nozzles and jet engine parts that need to resist melting and weakening under extreme heat.The military needs tungsten for armor-piercing bullets and radiation shielding. Tungsten is also used for heating elements, welding electrodes, and contacts.

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