2. Mining and mineral processing

In 1781, the Swedish chemist C.W. Scheele isolated an unknown acid (tungstic acid) from a white mineral identified and named "tungsten" (heavy stone in Swedish) by A.F. Cronstedt in 1758, and named "scheelite" (CaWO ₄ ) in 1821 by C.C. Leonhard.

Another mineral, "wolframite" [(Fe, Mn), WO ₄ ], is mentioned under the term "wolfram" in a manuscript by J. Mathesius dated 1564. It was from wolframite that Spanish chemists J.J. and F. de Elhuyar also prepared tungstic acid and isolated, identified and named tungsten, in 1783, by reducing this acid with carbon.