Tungsten has the highest melting point of all chemical elements, at about 3,422 °C.
Its extremely strong metallic bonding makes tungsten exceptionally resistant to heat. This property, combined with its high density and hardness, makes it useful in furnace components, rocket-engine parts, electrical contacts, and specialized tools. Tungsten is also known by the symbol W, derived from its older name, wolfram.
Tungsten was identified as a distinct element in 1783 by Spanish chemists Juan José and Fausto Elhuyar. The name comes from the Swedish words tung sten, meaning “heavy stone.” Its atomic number is 74, placing it among the transition metals.
A common mix-up is confusing melting point with boiling point or density. Osmium is often cited as the densest element, while carbon can have an even higher sublimation temperature under certain conditions. Under standard comparisons of elemental melting points, however, tungsten is the established record-holder.