Scientists and inventors have used a number of filaments for incandescent bulbs in the past. But today, the most popular one is the tungsten filament.
It was William David Coolidge, who developed a method to manufacture tungsten filaments in 1910.
The biggest advantage of tungsten was that it had a high melting point, and was able to withstand heat and corrosion. That is exactly what attracted inventors to it. Besides, using inert gases inside the bulb increased its luminescence.
As years passed, the element was used in other lamps too, including halogen, fluorescent, mercury vapour etc. Tungsten is perhaps the most durable type of filament used in bulbs even today.
It is said that Thomas Alva Edison himself knew that tungsten would prove to be the best choice for filaments. But in his day, the technology and machinery required to produce the wire in fine form was not available.
