As of 2026-09-11 · the last 10 years
Research intensity stands at about 64% of the element's all-time peak, a level that has remained essentially flat over the last decade.
Research intensity ran from about 59% of the element's own all-time peak in 2016 to about 64% in 2026 — essentially flat across the window, and the all-time peak (1972) lies before this window. Over the same span its share of research attention across all elements rose. Among the 118 elements, tungsten has a larger-than-average research literature.
The number of papers involving the element rose from about 14,236 in 2016 to about 27,580 in 2025 (1.94x). That is slower than the literature as a whole grew over the same years, so the element lost ground in the wider body of research even as its own count rose.
The core of tungsten's recent research lies in Tungsten Behavior in Fusion Divertor Environments, a community where tungsten is one strand of a broader field, with about 24% of its papers involving the element. These studies examine tungsten's mechanical response, surface erosion, and deuterium retention under plasma and irradiation conditions. This community holds about 22% of the element's recent research and has remained steady. A key paper in this area, "Power and particle exhaust in the ST-E1 fusion power plant" (2026), has been cited about 11 times, while "Binder jetting additive manufacturing of a 95W-3.5Ni-1.5Fe tungsten heavy alloy" (2025) has been cited about 56 times.
A second significant area is Inorganic Oxide Thin Films for Electrochromic Smart Windows and Photocatalysis, where tungsten is central to the community, appearing in about 47% of its papers. This work focuses on tungsten oxides and related materials for energy applications. It accounts for about 7% of tungsten's recent research, a steady share. Notable work includes "Operando Unveiling of Hydrogen Spillover Mechanisms on Tungsten Oxide Surfaces" (2025), cited about 95 times, and "Insulator to metal transition in WO 3 induced by electrolyte gating" (2024), cited about 85 times.
A third community, Tungsten Electrodes and Carbides in Arc Welding, represents a minor presence for tungsten, with the element involved in only about 2% of the community's papers. Here, tungsten serves as the inert electrode in gas-arc welding processes and in wear-resistant carbide tools. This area holds about 7% of the element's recent research and has remained steady. "Ductilization of 2.6-GPa alloys via short-range ordered interfaces and supranano precipitates" (2025) is a notable contribution, cited about 90 times.
Overall, the composition of tungsten's research has remained stable, with no single community gaining or losing significant share. The remainder of the literature, which includes other specialized applications, holds about 64% of the element's recent research.
For a deeper look at the current state of tungsten research, see the element's Last 12 Months report or Executive Brief.
What changed in the past year: new papers, shifting applications, emerging collaborators. See the momentum over a shorter window than the decade view.
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