Tungsten

Owing to its conductivity, durability and density, tungsten is used in tooling and cutting, mining, construction, automotives, aerospace, advanced electronics and energy technologies. Tungsten recycling processes are mature and established, capable of yielding material recovery rates exceeding 95% in closed-loop industrial settings. LCA studies demonstrate that the environmental footprint of tungsten recycling is approximately one-third of those associated with processing primary tungsten.

As a critical raw material component in energy, defence and electronic supply chains, with low substitutability, increasing tungsten circularity is a focal point of national and regional policy agendas (e.g. EU, UK, United States, Japan). With 80% of primary tungsten production concentrated in China as of 2024, expanding tungsten recycling activity will bolster the resilience of global supply chains and markets.

Tungsten recycling feedstocks

The average global recycling input rate (RIR) of tungsten is approximately 35%, reflecting a steady increase across the previous decade, particularly in Europe and Asia-Pacific. Nonetheless, considerable variation exists between feedstock segments. Estimates suggest that the RIR of end-of-life tungsten scrap is lower, whilst that of tungsten carbide products, which represent the majority of global use, are higher at approximately 46% amongst leading producers.

Tungsten recycling relies on a diverse range of feedstocks, which can be broadly classified into pre-consumer (new) scrap and post-consumer (end-of-life) scrap. Pre-consumer sources include material generated during manufacturing and industrial processes, such as cemented carbide hard metal scrap, machining turnings and chips, mining wear parts, and superalloy or tungsten alloy scrap. These feedstocks are typically high in purity and consistency, making them well-suited for efficient recycling. Post-consumer scrap, on the other hand, originates from products that have reached the end of their service life. Common examples include industrial machinery, cutting tools, electrical components, and decommissioned aerospace equipment, all of which often contain tungsten carbide and are viable for high-efficiency recovery.

The recycling of tungsten is carried out through three main industrial processes: direct recycling, chemical recycling, and melting metallurgy. Direct recycling is preferred for hard scrap such as cemented carbide and metal turnings, provided the material is pure, grindable, and closely matches the composition of the intended final product. Chemical recycling is used for soft scrap and impure or mixed, hard scrap and typically converts the scrap into ammonium paratungstate (APT), a key intermediate for producing high-purity tungsten products. Melting metallurgy, meanwhile, is employed for recycling tungsten-containing superalloys. Although direct recycling currently dominates industrial practice due to its efficiency and cost-effectiveness, ongoing technological advancements and rising demand for high-purity secondary tungsten are expected to accelerate the adoption of chemical and melting-based methods in the near future.