# Tungsten: Emissions

The carbon cost of the hardest working metal

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/tungsten/emissions/

What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint of the commodity at a global level, split by lifecycle phase: extraction (or farming), refining and processing, movement, usage, and recycling or end of life. Intensities are per unit of product; the global total combines intensity with world output. Also covers other environmental impacts and the main levers to cut emissions. Emission intensity 12.6 t CO2e per t range not published by ITIA in the sources used · cradle-to-gate global average per kg W from ecoinvent data Global emissions per year 1.10 Mt CO2e per year 2025 · 12.6 t CO2e/t x 85,000 t W (derived, indicative)

Per t of tungsten contained (cradle-to-gate, concentrate to APT and metal powder). Intensity: Nuss & Eckelman 2014, PLoS ONE (ecoinvent-based, indicative). Global total: USGS MCS 2026; Nuss & Eckelman 2014; derived.

#### Footprint by lifecycle phase

| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Extraction** | not published separately | – | underground and open-pit mining of ore often below 0.5% WO3, grinding, gravity separation and flotation | Low grades mean a lot of rock and power per tonne of tungsten (indicative) | content_v2 chain |
| **Refining / processing** | not published separately; likely the dominant stage (indicative) | – | alkali digestion, APT crystallisation, calcining, hydrogen reduction and carburising, mostly on China's coal-heavy grid | Hydrogen used to reduce oxide to powder is usually made from fossil fuels; carburising and sintering carbide add furnace energy | content_v2 chain; indicative |
| **Movement** | minor (indicative) | – | concentrate and APT shipping | Small tonnages of high-value material | indicative |
| **Usage** | not applicable | – | carbide tools and wear parts emit nothing in use | Longer-lasting tools cut machining energy and waste; tungsten wire saws reduce silicon loss in wafer cutting | content_v2 uses; indicative |
| **Recycling / end of life** | lower than primary (no sourced figure) | – | zinc process and chemical recovery of carbide scrap | EU end-of-life recycling input is 42%, one of the highest among critical metals; chemical recycling returns tungsten to APT | EU CRM 2023 |

#### Other environmental impacts

Tungsten is one of the 3TG conflict minerals (with tin, tantalum and gold); artisanal mining in Rwanda and DR Congo needs due diligence. Ore processing can release arsenic and fluoride into water (indicative).

#### Levers to cut emissions

- Raise carbide scrap collection and recycling beyond the 42% EU end-of-life input rate
- Use green hydrogen for oxide reduction (indicative)
- Shift APT and powder plants to low-carbon power; new Western plants in Korea and Kazakhstan can be built on cleaner grids
- Improve ore recovery: Masan's refinery recovers about 96% in APT processing

#### India

India has no significant tungsten mining and imports concentrate, APT, powder and carbide for tool makers, so its footprint is embodied in imports, mostly linked to Chinese processing (USGS; content_v2).
 Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/tungsten/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/tungsten/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/tungsten/correlation/index.md)
- [Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/tungsten/extraction/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/tungsten/production/index.md)
- [Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/tungsten/stocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/tungsten/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/tungsten/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/tungsten/movement/index.md)
- [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/tungsten/criticality/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/tungsten/characteristics/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/tungsten/links/index.md)