Japan New Metals Strengthens Cemented Carbide Scrap Collection

Japan New Metals, a tungsten and molybdenum powder maker of Mitsubishi Materials Group headed in Osaka, Japan, strengthens a network to collect cemented carbide scrap when recycling production of ammonium paratungstate (APT) is approaching to full operation at 40 tonnes per month at Akita works, Japan. The firm plans to utilize cemented carbide tool sales networks of Mitsubishi Materials and other tool makers to collect cemented carbide scrap stably. Japan New Metals aims to raise the scrap usage rate in APT recycling to 50% in future.Japan New Metals is an only maker to recycle cemented carbide scrap in Japan which started tungsten trioxide (WO3) recycling business in 2001. The firm produces APT at 1,200 tonnes per year from ore and cemented carbide scrap. The firm produces tungsten powder at 3,000 tonnes per year at Osaka works, 40% of whose materials can be covered by own produced APT.WO3 content of cemented carbide scrap is 85% while that of concentrate is 65%. Cemented carbide scrap is a higher grade material for APT than concentrate. However, scrap collection networks haven’t been organized between cemented carbide tool users and recyclers in Japan because cemented carbide scrap is difficult to be sorted from other scraps. Recyclers can collect cemented carbide scrap only from tool makers’ plants at present.Japan New Metals will appeal to cemented carbide tool users, especially customers of Mitsubishi Materials, for returning used tools to Japan New Metals. At the same time, the firm accepts consignment recycling of cemented carbide scrap brought by external companies. The firm targets stable operation of recycling equipment at Akita works.