In 1841, a chemist named Robert Oxland gave the first procedures for preparing tungsten trioxide and sodium tungstate.

[4][1] Possible signs of superconductivity with critical temperatures Tc = 80–90 K were claimed in sodium-doped and oxygen-deficient WO3 crystals.

If confirmed, these would be the first superconducting materials containing no copper, with Tc higher than the boiling point of liquid nitrogen at normal pressure.

Alternatively, CaWO4, or scheelite, is allowed to react with HCl to produce tungstic acid, which decomposes to WO3 and water at high temperatures.

[6] Another common way to synthesize WO3 is by calcination of ammonium paratungstate (APT) under oxidizing conditions:[2] Tungsten trioxide can be reduced with carbon or hydrogen gas yielding the pure metal.