Comparison
Tungsten vs titanium
These two metals have reputations that point in opposite directions, and the numbers explain why. Tungsten is 19.3 grams per cubic centimetre. Titanium is 4.51.
Tungsten is more than four times denser. A cube that weighs 1.07 kg in tungsten weighs 249 grams in titanium.
- 19.3
- Tungsten g/cm³
- 4.51
- Titanium g/cm³
- 4.28×
- Tungsten is denser
Cube weight, tungsten vs titanium
| Cube size | Tungsten | Titanium | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1″ | 316 g | 74 g | +242 g |
| 1.5″ | 1.07 kg | 249 g | +818 g |
| 2″ | 2.53 kg | 591 g | +1.94 kg |
| 3″ | 8.54 kg | 2.00 kg | +6.54 kg |
Opposite design goals
Titanium is specified when you want strength without mass: airframes, bike frames, implants, cases. Its appeal is the strength-to-weight ratio, and every gram it does not weigh is the point.
Tungsten is specified when you want mass in a small volume: counterweights, balance weights, radiation shielding, vibration damping. It is the same engineering logic run backwards.
The desk-object comparison
A titanium cube is a pleasant object that feels roughly like aluminium with better manners. It does not surprise anyone.
The entire appeal of a tungsten cube is that it violates an expectation, and titanium cannot do that because its density sits close enough to ordinary metals that the brain's prediction is correct.
Hardness is a separate question
Titanium is strong but not especially hard, and scratches more readily than people expect. Tungsten is very hard and very stiff, though in its pure form it is also comparatively brittle.
Neither is a practical concern for a cube that sits on a desk.
Common questions
Is tungsten heavier than titanium?
Considerably. Tungsten is 19.3 g/cm³ and titanium is 4.51, making tungsten about 4.3 times denser. A 1.5-inch cube is 1.07 kg in tungsten and 249 g in titanium.
Is titanium stronger than tungsten?
They are strong in different ways. Titanium has an excellent strength-to-weight ratio and good toughness. Tungsten is harder and much stiffer, but pure tungsten is comparatively brittle.
Why is titanium more expensive than tungsten by weight?
Titanium is difficult to extract and process from ore, and much of its cost sits in refining and forming. Tungsten's cost is concentrated in machining rather than in the raw material.
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