Tungsten mine to be revived in challenge to China

An English mine last used when the nation was making armaments to defeat Hitler's forces will be revived to challenge China's grip on tungsten, one of the strategic metals at the heart of a deepening trade dispute with Europe and the United States.

Wolf Minerals Ltd. is developing a tungsten mine in Devon, in southwest England, 70 years after it was last extracted there. The Hemerdon site is the world's fourth-largest deposit and can produce about 3.5 percent of global demand for the metal, used to harden steel in ballistic missiles and in drill bits. China provides about 85 percent of worldwide supplies.

Tungsten was one of the metals cited when President Obama filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization on March 13 against Chinese supply curbs. Tungsten is a critical raw material, according to the European Union, and the British Geological Survey places it at the top of its supply-risk list of materials needed to maintain the United Kingdom's economy and lifestyle.

"A big element of what we are doing is providing a strategic supply to companies outside of China," Wolf Managing Director Humphrey Hale said in an interview in London. "We're answering a requirement from the market, which is strategic supply, and prices are at a position where we can make money from that."

Wolf is backed by Resource Capital Funds, which holds a 17 percent stake, and Traxys SA, with 9.6 percent. Resource Capital is the largest shareholder in Molycorp, owner of the biggest U.S. rare-earth deposit. Traxys, the Luxembourg metals trader, also owns a stake in Molycorp.

China has imposed export restraints on raw materials including rare earths, tungsten and molybdenum, causing worldwide supplies to plummet, sending prices higher and threatening strategic stockpiles. China is the largest supplier of 28 of the 52 elements on the Geological Survey's risk list.

Rare earths became a political and legislative flash point in July 2010 when China moved to limit domestic output and slash export quotas by 40 percent, souring ties with the United States and Japan, where buyers cut use after prices soared in the first half of 2011. China said on Dec. 28 it was leaving overseas sales caps for 2012 virtually unchanged.

Tungsten prices will probably stay at more than $40,000 per metric ton this year because of China's curbs, Malaga, a producer of the metal in Peru, said in January. The price of ammonium paratungstate, the traded form of the metal, increased 32 percent in 2011 to end the year at more than $440 per metric ton, according to European price data from Metal Bulletin. The material traded at less than $65 in 2003.

"Investors should really look at Tungsten," John Meyer, an analyst at Fairfax IS PLC, said in an interview on Bloomberg Television March 28. "Demand is so far ahead of supply, I think it's the key commodity, a strategic commodity."

Wolf's mine will produce 3,500 tons of tungsten and 450 tons of tin a year, starting in 2015. It will cost about $190 million to build.

The Devon mine, which provided material used in both World Wars, was closed in 1944 as access to overseas supplies resumed. Wolf isn't the first company to attempt to revive it.

Amax started efforts to develop the mine in the 1970s and was granted approval for the project by Devon's local government in 1986. Amax withdrew from the project in 1993 because of falling commodity prices.

Chinese Tungsten Production Influences National Defense

China is a big country of producing tungsten.Tungsten reserve in China accounted for about 70 percent of the world's total reserves of tungsten.The output of tungsten in China accounts for 80% of the world's total output.

Tungsten  is a kind of rare metal with highest melting point and density.The hardness of tungsten is after diamond. It is known as "industrial teeth" and"industrial salt".Nowadays, tungsten is widely used in national defense industry, aerospace,machinery manufacturing, oil drilling, special steel, new material, etc.Aviation jet engines,rockets,missiles, satellites and many parts are made of tungsten alloy.As important strategic resource, tungsten industry has a close relationship with national economy and  national defense. 

 

The Characteristic and Development of Seismic-resistant Tungsten

 

Foreign and domestic  research results show that all seismic tungsten are doped tungsten-based added small amount of Co or a small amount of Re and other elements to get a better high-temperature ductility, and enhance the seismic performance of a tungsten filament. Therefore, the Research of  tungsten wire must  focus on the subject control to achieve synchronization, enhance tungsten's high-temperature strength, creep resistance and high temperature recrystallization to obtain better Seismic performance of the tungsten wire; on the other hand, on the basis of high-quality doped tungsten compound to add solid solution strengthening effect of cobalt or rhenium in order to improve room temperature ductility after recrystallization.

The commerce Deparment Says that the Target of Chinese Rare Earth Policy Is Legitimate

On March 13, U.S. President Barack Obama announced plans to export management measures for the three products of the Chinese Rare Earth and other proceedings regarding the Commerce Department to respond, saying that China has received the United States, European Union, Japan, in WTO disputethe request for consultations to resolve the mechanism of rare earth, tungsten, molybdenum export management measures, and stressed that the legitimate goal of the Chinese policy. China policy goal is to achieve sustainable development, in order to protect the resources and the environment, and have no intention to protect domestic industries through trade-distorting.

At present, the Commerce Department said, China has received the request for consultations, the United States, European Union, Japan under the WTO dispute settlement mechanism of rare earth, tungsten, molybdenum export management measures. Li Chenggang the same time, stressed that China previously has maintained in respect of raw materials exports policy and the parties of communication and contact, while the Chinese policy objective is to achieve sustainable development, in order to protect the resources and the environment, and have no intention to protect domestic industries through trade-distorting.

Israel Shows Two New Ammunition for T-90 Tanks in India

In 2012 India International Defense Exhibition, Israel revealed two new 125 mm tank shells, namely the multi-purpose M710 tracer grenades (HE-MP-T) and MK-2 tracer APFSDS (OF APFSDS-T), R & Dproviders Israel Military Industries Ltd. These two types of shells to enhance the operational viability of the Indian Army main battle tanks.

M710 can be used to as a typical asymmetric warfare and urban combat environment, 125 mm tank gun fired multipurpose tracer grenades, designed for T-90 T-80 and T-72 main battle tanks, the Israeli militarythe industry's latest multi-purpose tank shells. M710 electronic fuze system, there are three different modes of action: delay detonation (PDD), touched deep-fried (PD) and air-burst (AB). Target information provided by the tank fire control system, fire control system can be programmed via a wireless data link electronic fuzes when tank shells in the gun bore.

Israel Military Industries, R & D, another known as the 125 mm tank shells MK-2 tracer APFSDS tungsten alloy penetrator, second-generation high-speed kinetic energy penetrators. When using the 125 mm tank gun fired, MK-2 penetrators improved accuracy, within the scope of the full range of reducing the wear and tear on the barrel and enhances the penetration of armored targets.

 

Tungsten Alloy Cubes for Military

 Since at least World War II, tungsten alloys have proven their worth in ordnance  applications.Tungsten alloy cube has excellent resistance to radiation, electric conductivity and high density (16-18.5 g/cm3), good mechanical strength and corrosion resistance. It has the expansion and increase the elastic modulus coefficient function. Tungsten alloy cube is widely used in military equipment, machinery manufacturing, aircraft parts, medical shield and sports equipment. 

 

Complaints on Rare Earth Export Restriction in China

Recently, the US,the UN and Japan requested consultations with China on the measures that it has in place related to restrictions on the export of rare earths, tungsten and molybdenum.The requests made reference to numerous Harmonized System (HS) codes (used for classifying products, materials and services for international import and export) for specific rare-earth, molybdenum and tungsten products and compounds. In the case of rare earths, forms referenced in the documents include (but are not limited to):

• Rare-earth ores;
• Thorium ores and concentrates (presumably by virtue of their rare-earth content?);
• Individual rare-earth metals, including so-called “battery-grade” rare-earth metals;
• Individual and mixed rare-earth oxides, carbonates, chlorides, fluorides and other compounds (including cerium hydroxide & cerium cyanide);
• Rare-earth-containing phosphorescent powders;
• Rare-earth-containing ferroalloys; and
• A variety of rare-earth-containing magnetic powders and alloys.

Yttrium and scandium are included in the HS code classifications for rare earths, alongside the lanthanides.

Rare Earth Saga: China VS the Rest of the World

In continuation of the China vs. the-rest-of-the-world rare earth saga, the US, EU and Japan recently filed separate but coordinated complaints with the World Trade Organization (WTO) on the grounds that China was fortifying its stocks of those rare earth metals that were critical for the manufacture of technology products such as mobile phones, camera lenses, hybrid cars and weapons. The complaint also includes non-rare earth metals tungsten and molybdenum.

While announcing the move, President Barack Obama said, “We’ve got to take control of our energy future and we cannot let that energy industry take root in some other country because they were allowed to break the rules.”

US administration officials have been complaining that while China has access to large stocks at cheaper rates, the US is being forced to manage with small stocks at high prices. US officials claim that WTO forbids such unfair trade practices and since China is a member of the WTO, it must function within the WTO rules and regulations. In the absence of a resolution being found within 60 days, the dispute may be placed before a WTO panel for a ruling. Sanctions against China are a possible outcome of the process.

In spite of China’s repeated claims that restrictions on its export quotas since 2009 have been driven by environmental concerns and the need to conserve scarce resources, nobody has really been buying that argument. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, Liu Weimin said at a briefing, “We think the policy is in line with WTO rules.”

Swiss Metal Assets Now Offering Basket of Strategic Metals Critical to National Defense

Swiss Metal Assets facilitates, for both Individuals and Institutions, the conversion from a devaluing currency into the physical ownership of high demand 'Strategic and Precious Metals', in allocated and segregated accounts. Swiss Metal Assets also is able to exchange the metals into any currency upon liquidation.

The military is critically dependent on technology metals for secure communications, weapons guidance, surveillance, drones and other battlefield technology. The military however, instead of catalyzing the supply and taking a priority position, is now simply another customer waiting in line. There have been multiple studies done by both the US Department of Energy and the BGS (British Geological Survey) showing how critical the supplies of the rare industrial metals have become.

Recognizing this, Swiss Metal Assets is pleased to announce the addition of the highly coveted "DEFENSE" Basket of 5 Strategic Defense Metals to the SMA Metals Platform.

This basket of rare industrial metals contains:

Rhenium, used in stealth aircraft, jet engine parts and missile propulsion.
Tantalum, used in chip capacitors for weapon systems.
Indium, used in laser tracking, night vision, high speed imaging and target recognition.
Gallium, used in military and aerospace communications.
Tungsten, used in kinetic energy projectiles, penetrating armaments and armor.

The British Geological Survey has given Tungsten a score of 8.5 out of 10 on its critical scale, 10 being the highest. Rhenium and Indium both scored a 6.5 out of 10 on the critical scale. Tantalum scored a 6.0 out of 10 on the critical scale and Gallium scored a 4.5 out of 10 on the critical scale.

Parties seeking to hedge their currency exposure or supercharge their IRA through SMA's Metals Platform will receive an Introductory Price PLUS 5 Years Free Storage at the duty & tax free "Entrepot" in Switzerland for a limited time on the Defense Basket. 

Military Tungsten Carbide

Tungsten carbide is often used in armor-piercing ammunition, especially where depleted uranium is not available or is politically unacceptable. W₂C projectiles were first used by German Luftwaffe tank-hunter squadrons in World War II. Owing to the limited German reserves of tungsten, W₂C material was reserved for making machine tools and small numbers of projectiles. It is an effective penetrator due to its combination of great hardness and very high density.

Tungsten carbide ammunition can be of the sabot type (a large arrow surrounded by a discarding push cylinder) or a subcaliber ammunition, where copper or other relatively soft material is used to encase the hard penetrating core, the two parts being separated only on impact. The latter is more common in small-caliber arms, while sabots are usually reserved for artillery use.