Can acid dissolve tungsten?

Can Acid Dissolve Tungsten?

Tungsten is famously known as one of the toughest and most resilient metals on Earth, boasting an extremely high melting point and stubborn resistance to wear. Because of its tough nature, getting it to dissolve is no easy task for standard chemistry lab acids.

However, tungsten can indeed be dissolved using a specialized chemical approach. A mixture of hydrofluoric and nitric acids can break down tungsten wire through an acid-decomposition method. Interestingly, this reaction is spontaneous and does not require an external heat source to work.

This method offers a stark contrast to older, established techniques—such as using hydrogen peroxide as a dissolution medium. While traditional methods might require specific conditions or catalysts, the hydrofluoric-nitric acid combination provides a direct, highly effective way to dissolve this stubborn refractory metal.