Tungsten

Tungsten is a dense, hard metal known for its high melting point and strength at elevated temperatures. It is mainly extracted from wolframite and scheelite ores, with China, Russia, and Vietnam being the top producers. Tungsten is primarily used in cutting tools, electrical contacts, and superalloys.

Sub-Category	Abbreviation	Core Content Range	Size Range
Ferrotungsten	FeW	W 65-100%	0.5-130 mm
Tungsten Metal	W Metal	W 90-100%	0.5-600 mm
Tungsten Powder	W Powder	Various	n/a

Please note that the above listed sub-categories including its core content and size ranges are just a snapshot of Metalshub’s currently traded raw materials. We are adding new sub-categories on a monthly basis and would be happy to assess your specific requirements to this category.

Metalshub provides producers and consumers of tungsten with a software solution to improve the way they buy or sell it. Our software connects over 2,000 companies in a joint trading network. This allows sellers to discover new buyers of tungsten and buyers to discover new suppliers of tungsten.

For buyers, Metalshub’s Procurement Solution allows steel mills, foundries, and other consumers to digitalise their procurement process in order to increase sourcing efficiency, ensure compliant buying, and take data-driven decisions. For sellers, Metalshub’s Sales Solution allows miners, traders, and other sellers to digitalise their sales process, manage inventory, and optimise their sales book.

Several institutions provide pricing data for tungsten:

1. Argus Media: Argus offers journalistic pricing for tungsten products. They also provide long-term market forecasts and updates on tungsten supply and demand dynamics​ (Argus Media).
2. CRU Group: CRU offers journalistic tungsten price assessments, along with in-depth analysis and forecasts for supply, demand, and trade trends within the tungsten industry​ (CRU).
3. Metis: For ferrotungsten robust transaction-based price data is made available by Metis. The prices are adjusted considering FCA warehouse in a major European sea port and prepayment (Metis).

Beyond these three examples, other providers may also provide prices.

What are the key countries of origin for tungsten?

The leading producers of tungsten are:

• China – ~80% of global tungsten production
• Russia – ~<10% of global tungsten production
• Vietnam – ~5% of global tungsten production
• Bolivia – ~5% of global tungsten production
• Austria – ~<5% of global tungsten production

Some of the key producers of tungsten include:

• China Minmetals Corporation (China) – ~20% of global tungsten production
• Almonty Industries (Canada) – ~<10% of global tungsten production
• Wolfram Company (Russia) – ~<10% of global tungsten production
• H.C. Starck Tungsten (Germany) – ~5% of global tungsten production
• Vietnam Youngsun Tungsten Industry (Vietnam) – ~5% of global tungsten production

Tungsten is primarily extracted from wolframite and scheelite ores through open-pit or underground mining. The ore is processed using gravity and flotation methods to concentrate the tungsten content. The concentrate is then refined into ammonium paratungstate (APT), which can be further processed into tungsten carbide, powder, or metal for various industrial uses.

Tungsten is mainly used in cutting tools (~45%) due to its hardness and heat resistance, making it ideal for machining tough materials. It is also used in electrical and electronic applications (~20%) for high-temperature environments. Tungsten is critical in the aerospace industry (~10%) for producing high-performance alloys.