Tungsten: Extraction

Small mines, low grades and a chemical intermediate

Tungsten is mined as two minerals, scheelite and wolframite, from veins and skarn deposits, often in small underground mines. Ore grades are low, so the ore is crushed and concentrated by gravity and flotation. The concentrate is dissolved and converted to ammonium paratungstate (APT), the main traded intermediate. APT is reduced to oxide, metal powder and tungsten carbide. Carbide is then sintered with a cobalt binder into cemented carbide tools. About 15% of supply is a by-product of other metals. The United States has not mined tungsten commercially since 2015.

Tungsten is mined from two minerals: scheelite (calcium tungstate) and wolframite (iron-manganese tungstate), in vein, skarn and porphyry deposits. Ore grades are low, so mines concentrate the minerals by gravity and flotation before selling or converting them. Concentrates are digested chemically into ammonium paratungstate (APT), the benchmark intermediate, and then made into oxide, metal powder and carbide. China dominates every step. Scrap carbide is a large secondary source because tools are collected and returned. Most tungsten is mined for itself; about 15% is linked to other metals such as tin, molybdenum and copper (Nassar et al. 2015).

Methods compared

How each method works

Ore is crushed and ground. Wolframite is heavy and recovered by jigs, spirals and tables; scheelite is often floated. Concentrates are upgraded to about 65% WO3. Some mines are polymetallic: Vietnam's Nui Phao also yields fluorspar, bismuth and copper.

Large Chinese deposits are low cost; new Western mines take many years and need high APT prices.

Concentrates are leached with sodium hydroxide or soda under pressure, purified by solvent extraction or ion exchange, and crystallised as APT. APT is calcined to blue or yellow oxide, reduced in hydrogen furnaces to metal powder and mixed with carbon to form tungsten carbide.

Captures most value; chemical plants outside China are few.

Used inserts and drill bits are collected and either treated with molten zinc, which breaks up the cobalt binder so the carbide can be re-milled, or oxidised and dissolved back to APT. H.C. Starck is expanding recycling at Goslar in Germany (Fastmarkets, Oct 2026).

Lower energy and supply-secure; collection of dispersed uses such as chemicals is not possible.

Wolframite is dug by hand or small machines from veins and sold as concentrate through cooperatives and traders, often alongside tin and tantalum.

Quick to respond to price; requires conflict-mineral due diligence (tungsten is one of the 3TG minerals).

Share produced as a by-product

Who does it: global

Who does it: India

India has no significant tungsten mine output in USGS or World Mining Data tables and relies on imported concentrate, APT, powder and carbide; tungsten is on India's 2023 critical minerals list. Carbide tool makers in Bengaluru and elsewhere are the main users.