1

Message from General Director

We have passed a long way from a small trading company to a fully inte-

grated manufacturer of tungsten intermediate products. In the year 2012 we

celebrated 15 years since WOLFRAM Company, CJSC was founded and 20
years in minor metal business. During these years we have been doing our
best to create and maintain smooth, trustworthy and long-term relations with
our partners, as a strong position and reputation both domestically and on
international markets is a matter of high importance to us. We follow our mission, which is to supply the best products of a high quality to our customers
and meet every possible expectation of our clients. Our target is to provide
a full range of intermediate tungsten products and to become a reliable alternative supplier to the world tungsten industry.

Michael Gorbachev

History of WOLFRAM Company, CJSC

1992 Trading company Wolfram-Molybden, CJSC was founded in Moscow. The specialists who built the core team of the company have
come from the former Ministry of Non-ferrous Metallurgy of USSR.
1997 The key specialists from Wolfram-Molybden, CJSC, headed by Michael Gorbachev, established WOLFRAM Company, CJSC, a trading house based in Moscow.
2004 WOLFRAM Company founded a joint venture Kainar-Wolfram for
producing tungsten concentrates in Mongolia.
2005 WOLFRAM Company became a shareholder at Hydrometallurg JSC
(Nalchik, the Kabardino-Balkar Republic, Russia), which is known to
be the largest APT and YTO producer in Russia and former USSR and
the only one in Russian Federation processing both scheelite and
wolframite.
2006 WOLFRAM Company started the construction of Unecha Refractory
metals plant (Unecha town, Bryansk Region, Russia) which main activity is production of tungsten metal powders and tungsten carbide
powders of high quality.
2007 Kainar-Wolfram company was sold due to resource depletion.
2007 Company became a shareholder at Pobedit JSC (Vladikavkaz, the
Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, Russia) producing a huge variety of
hard alloys and refractory metal products, such as W, Mo, Re bars, rods,
powders, etc.
2007 JSC VBRR (Russian Regional Development Bank), a subsidiary bank
of Rosneft oil company, became a shareholder of WOLFRAM Company.
2007 WOLFRAM Company started the construction of an apartment block
in Unecha, Bryansk Region, to provide the employees of the Refractory metals plant with accommodation.
2007 WOLFRAM Company became a shareholder at JSC TGOK (Tyrnyauz
Mining and Processing Plant), a bankrupt company that used to develop the Tyrnyauz mine, the biggest tungsten deposit in Russian Federation, to restart the production of tungsten concentrates.
2010 The construction of the first stage (production of tungsten metal powders) of the Refractory metals plant in Unecha town was finished and
it was put into operation.
2011 The construction of the second stage (production of tungsten carbide
powders) of the Refractory metals plant in Unecha town was finished
and it was put into operation.
2011 The construction of an apartment block in Unecha, Bryansk Region
was finished.
2012 WOLFRAM Company and the Government of the Kabardino-Balkar
Republic established KB WMC, JSC (Kabardino-Balkarian TungstenMolybdenum Company) to develop the Tyrnyauz deposit on the basis
of the existing assets of JSC TGOK.

WOLFRAM Company CJSC structure

Rosneft oil company

VBRR Bank
(Russian Regional
Development Bank)
Shareholder

Management of
WOLFRAM Company
Shareholder

WOLFRAM Company
CJSC
Mining companies

KB WMC, JSC
(Kabardino-Balkarian
Tungsten-Molybdenum
Company)
(Tyrnyauz, the KabardinoBalkar Republic, Russia)
Development of tungstenmolybdenum mining project

Smelting/Refining plants

Hydrometallurg, JSC
(Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkarian
Republic, Russia)
APT, YTO producer
Pobedit, JSC
(Vladikavkaz, the Republic of
North Ossetia-Alania, Russia)
Hard alloys and refractory plant
Unecha Refractory Metals Plant
the subsidiary of WOLFRAM Company
(Unecha, Bryask region, Russia)
Tungsten metal powders
and tungsten carbide powders
producer
3

Our geography

Main office
1
- KB WMC, JSC (Kabardino-Balkarian Tungsten-Molybdenum Company, Russia)
2
- Hydrometallurg JSC (Nalchik, the Kabardino-Balkar Republic, Russia)
3
- Pobedit JSC (Vladikavkaz, the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, Russia)
4
- Unecha Refractory metals plant (Unecha town, Bryansk Region, Russia)

Chemical workshop
at Hydrometallurg plant

Hydrometallurg, JSC

ydrometallurg, JSC is a plant located in Nalchik, the Kabardino-Balkar

Republic, Russian Federation. The history of the factory starts in 1955 when the
Ministry of Non-ferrous Metallurgy of USSR started the construction of a Hydrometallurgical plant in Nalchik to set up an effective production of tungsten
and molybdenum using the resources of the Tyrnyauz deposit. The plant was
officially put into operation in 1962 and became an independent company
in 1982.
Hydrometallurg produces Ammonium Paratungstate (APT), Yellow Tungsten
Oxide (YTO) and the equipment for Blue Tungsten Oxide (BTO) production will
be installed in 2013. The equipment of the plant is adjusted to process almost
all types of tungsten-bearing raw material, including the primary (scheelite,
wolframite concentrates) and recycling (hard and soft scrap) and raw materials with low W-content.
In 2005 WOLFRAM Company CJSC bought a control stake of Hydrometallurg,
JSC and started a significant job on improving the technology and quality of
the products to meet the high requirements of international markets. The new
technological processes implemented at the plant by 2012 raised the quality
of the products and led to the impurity figures decrease.
The production capacity of the plant is 6000 t WO3 per year and is able to
meet our customers needs.

The recycling of tailings

at Hydrometallurg plant

Technology
The technology of the plant is based on a two-stage high-temperature autoclave leaching of tungsten concentrates with calcined soda or caustic soda,
depending on the raw material.
Tungsten-containing soft scrap (wires, cuts) and various hard alloys and cemented carbides based on certain tungsten grades (tungsten-cobalt, tungsten-nickel-iron, tungsten-nickel) are dissolved by melting them with sodium
nitrate (NaNO3) in the chamber furnaces, then the process is followed by
dissolving the derived melt in water.
Leached solutions, as well as the solutions with the dissolved melt, are later on
cleaned from impurities and sent for separation of molybdenum and tungsten. Molybdenum is separated by the classical method of deposition, while
tungsten is released from the solution in the ammonium tungstate form by a
method of extraction. After that ammonium tungstate is processed into ammonium paratungstate (APT) and tungsten trioxide (WO3).

Raw material
100% of the raw material used for production is generated domestically. The
plant has three sources of raw material:
scheelite, wolframite from Russian mines,
soft and hard scrap bought from Russian scrap collectors,
the material obtained by recycling the plants tailing dump.

AMMONIUM PARATUNGSTATE (APT)

MAIN APPLICATION:
1. Calcination into tungsten oxides (under reducing conditions to form tungsten blue oxide W20O58, or under oxidizing conditions to form tungsten yellow trioxide WO3) before the reduction process which produces the pure
tungsten metal powder.
2. Carbonization to tungsten carbide powders and further mixing with Co for
production of WC+Co mixed powders and formulations with other metals
(Ta,Ti) for further conversion into tungsten shaped products: cutting tools,
drilling bits and cemented carbides.

SECONDARY APPLICATION:
1. Decomposition by hydrochloric acid to form tungstic acid (provides bright
yellow color to ceramic glazes and enamels).
2. Thermal decomposition to form ammonium metatungstate (feedstock for
catalyst production).

Ammonium Paratungstate (APT)

QUALITY SPECIFICATION
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

PARAMETERS

MAXIMUM IMPURITIES CONTENT, %

ELEMENTS

CONTENT, MAX.,
PPM

ELEMENTS

White
powder

Al

10

Mo

30

35.0-43.0

As

10

Na

10

1.9-2.3

Ca

10

Cr

10

10

Fe

10

Si

10

GARANTEED
VALUE

Appearance
Particle Size (FSSS),
m
Apparent density,
g/cm3

CONTENT,
MAX., PPM

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

WO3content,
%, min.:

88.8

10

Loss on ignition,
%, max.:

11.2

Mg

10

TUNGSTEN TRIOXIDE (YELLOW OXIDE)

MAIN APPLICATION:
1. Hydrogen reduction to the pure Tungsten Metal Powder.
2.1. S intering of Tungsten Metal Powder to Tungsten Metal Bars, Rods, Electrodes, Strips, Foil, lighting filaments and other flat and round rolled and
milled products.
2.2. Carbonization to Tungsten Carbide Powders and further mixing with Co
for production of WC+Co mixed powders and formulations with other
metals (Ta,Ti) for further sintering into Tungsten shaped products: cutting
tools, drilling bits and cemented carbides.

SECONDARY APPLICATION:
1. Pigment and cementing element for ceramics industry.

Tungsten Trioxide (Yellow Oxide)

QUALITY SPECIFICATION
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

MAXIMUM IMPURITIES CONTENT, %

PARAMETERS

GARANTEED
VALUE

Appearance

Yellow-green
fine powder

Al

10

Mo

30

Particle size
(FSSS), m

9.0-13.0

As

10

Na

10

2.0-3.0 g/
cm3

Ca

10

Cr

10

10

Fe

10

Si

10

Apparent density,
g/cm3

ELEMENTS

CONTENT,
MAX., PPM

ELEMENTS

CONTENT,
MAX., PPM

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

WO3content,
%, min.:

99.97

10

Loss on ignition,
%, max.:

0.03

Mg

10

Unecha Refractory metals plant

Unecha Refractory metals plant

Unecha Refractory metals plant (Unecha town, Bryansk Region, Russia) was
set up in 2006 by WOLFRAM Company CJSC as a modern manufacturing facility
meeting up the worldwide standards in quality control. The plant was designed
as an ecologically-friendly high-tech plant with a full production cycle, which is
unprecedented for Russian tungsten industry. The factorys main activity is production of tungsten metal powders and tungsten carbide powders.

Unecha Refractory metals plant is technically equipped to be independent

from any external supplies of energy, air, etc. It has the following facilities:
electric power generator
in-house process gas production
various types of heat-treatment machinery
various equipment for crushing, milling and homogenization
laboratory facilities supplied with the equipment by the largest producers
industrial warehouse equipped with modern stock accounting systems
in-house boiler station, electrical sub-station, circulation water supply system,
sewage treatment system and fire-protection system
The construction of the first stage (production of tungsten metal powders) of
Unecha Refractory metals plant was finished in 2010 with the production capacity up to 500 ton per year, and the second stage (production of tungsten
carbide powders) was finished in 2011 with the capacity for production of tungsten carbide powders up to 500 ton per year. Today the plant produces a wide
range of tungsten metal powders with particle size 0,6 30 microns and tungsten
carbide powders from fine (particle size 0,15 microns) to mid-coarse grades (300
microns).
The plant was ISO 9001 certified in 2012.

10

Milling equipment

Furnace for tungsten carbide

powders production

High-temperature furnace for production

of tungsten metal powders

11

TUNGSTEN METAL POWDERS

MAIN APPLICATION:
Carbonization to Tungsten Carbide Powders and further mixing with Co for production of
WC+Co mixed powders and formulations with other metals (Ta,Ti) for further sintering into
Tungsten shaped products: cutting tools, drilling bits and cemented carbides.
Special alloys (Ni, Cu, Fe, etc.).
Manufacturing of tungsten rods and bars, etc., for steel alloying industry.
Manufacturing of wire, plates, sheets, etc.
Tungsten
metal powder
grade

Average particle
size FSSS, m

Tungsten metal powders up to 9 m

Element

Max

Typical

W-008

0,6 - 1,0

0,35

Al

20

10

W-012

1,0 - 1,4

0,20

As

20

10

W-015

1,4 - 1,6

0,20

30

10

W-020

1,6 - 2,0

0,15

Ca

20

10

W-025

2,0 - 3,0

0,10

Cr

20

10

W-035

3,0 - 4,0

0,10

Na

20

10

W-045

4,0 - 5,0

0,08

Ni

30

10

W-050

4,5 - 5,5

0,08

Mo

70

30

W-060

5,5 - 6,5

0,06

20

10

W-070

6,5 - 7,5

0,06

Si

20

10

W-080

7,5 - 8,5

0,06

20

10

W-090

8,0 - 10,0

0,06

Fe

50

20

W-100

9,0 - 11,0

0,06

20

10

W-120

11,0 - 13,0

0,06

Mg

20

10

W-150

13,0 - 17,0

0,06

W-200

16,0 - 24,0

0,06

Packing: steel drums at 50 kg net each

12

Oxygen
content, %
max

Tungsten metal powders over 9 m

Fe
100
Ni
100
Mo
100
Other elements: as for
metal powders up to 9 m

50
50
50
tungsten

TUNGSTEN CARBIDE POWDERS

MAIN APPLICATION
Production of cemented carbide.
Coating.
Tungsten carbide grade

Average
particle
size FSSS, m

Oxygen
content,%
max

Total carbon
(typical content),
%

Total carbon
(minimum
content), %

Free carbon,
%

WC010
W015
WC020
W030
W040
W050
W060
W070
W080
W090
W100
W120
W150

0,8 - 1,3
1,3 - 1,8
1,8 - 2,5
2,5 - 3,5
3,5 - 4,5
4,5 - 5,5
5,5 - 6,5
6,5 - 7,5
7,5 - 8,5
8,5 - 9,5
9,0 - 11,0
11,0 - 13,0
13,0 - 17,0

0,20
0,20
0,10
0,10
0,08
0,08
0,06
0,06
0,06
0,06
0,06
0,06
0,06

6,13 - 6,18
6,13 - 6,18
6,13 - 6,18
6,13 - 6,18
6,13 - 6,18
6,13 - 6,18
6,13 - 6,18
6,13 - 6,18
6,13 - 6,18
6,13 - 6,18
6,12 - 6,17
6,12 - 6,17
6,12 - 6,17

6,08
6,08
6,08
6,08
6,08
6,08
6,08
6,08
6,08
6,08
6,08
6,08
6,08

0,06
0,06
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05

W200
16,0 - 24,0
0,06
Packing: steel drums at 50 kg net each

6,12 - 6,17

6,08

0.05

Tungsten carbide powders up to 9 m

Element

Max

Typical

Al
As
Ca
Cr
Na
Ni
Mo
P
Si
S
Fe
K
Mg

20
20
20
80
20
80
70
20
20
20
100
20
20

10
10
10
40
10
40
40
10
10
10
40
10
10

Tungsten carbide powders over 9 m

Fe
Ni
Mo

150
100
100

80
50
50

Other elements: as for tungsten metal powders up to 9 m

13

Pobedit, JSC

Pobedit JSC is a plant located in Vladikavkaz, the Republic of North Os-

setia-Alania, Russia. The construction was started in 1948 by the Ministry of

Non-ferrous Metallurgy of USSR. The place was chosen due to several reasons:
the location is close to the Tyrnyauz mine, the biggest tungsten deposit in
Russian Federation, availability of good transportation network, considerable
resource potential, etc. For more than 60 years the plant produces a huge
variety of hard alloys and refractory metal products, such as W, Mo, Re bars,
rods, powders, etc. for domestic and international markets. In 2007 WOLFRAM
Company CJSC bought a control stake of Pobedit JSC.

14

TUNGSTEN METAL BARS AND PLATES FOR STEEL ALLOYING

Dimensions, mm
Grade

Application

48-19-83-83

Specialty
metals alloying

48-19-76-90

48-19-57-91

For metallurgic applications

For production of
specialty
alloys and
expendable
welding
electrodes

Type

Length

Bars

7 30

Not less
than
300 mm

Bars

7 30

Not less
than
300 mm

Plates

16 x
80

Not less
than
300 mm

Pieces

35 x
40

Not less
than
300 mm

Highpurity
tungsten
bars

11 1

Not less
than
300 mm

Impurities, weight percent Bars for metallurgic applications

Fe
Al
N2
P
S
Ca
Si
C
Ni
Pb
Zn
Sn
Sb
As
Mg
Cu
Cd
Bi
Mo
O2
H2
W weight fraction

Notes

Section
side

1. Separate bars with the length lower than 300 mm

but higher than 10 mm are allowed; mass fraction
of these bars must not exceed 5% of the overall
bars lot.
2. Vitrification is not considered as a fault.
1. Separate chunks with the dimensions not more
than 16x16x150 mm are allowed in lot; mass
fraction of these chunks must not exceed 5% of
the overall bars lot.
2. Supply of the bars with the section side over 20
mm with the length not less than 300 mm to be
negotiated with the Customer.
3. Density of bars and plates is not less than 17.3 g/
cm3; of chunks not less than 17.0 g/cm3.
1. Deviation from rectilinearity must not exceed 3
mm of the bars length. Bars with the deviation
from rectilinearity of more than 4 mm are allowed
in lot; fraction of these bars must not exceed 20%.
2. Bars can be produced provided the raw material
of the correspondent chemical composition is
available.

Bars for specialty metals alloying

0.03 in total

0.012 in total

0.005
0.008
0.04
0.015
0.0001
0.002
0.0003
0.001
0.001

0.005
0.008
0.012
0.0005
0.008
0.008
0.0001
0.002
0.0003
0.001
0.001

0.002
0.0001
0.0001
0.3
0.003*
0.0007*

0.002
0.0001
0.0001
0.3
0.003
0.0007

Balance

Not less than 99.63%

* Within bars 40 mm edge areas, the following impurities content is allowed:

O2 up to 0.025%; H2 up to 0.001%.

High-purity tungsten bars

0.005
0.001
0.003
0.0035
0.0035
0.002
0.007
0.0001
0.001
0.0001
0.001
0.001
0.001
0.0001
0.0001
0.003
0.0005

Balance

15

MOLYBDENUM METAL POWDER

Components

Weight fraction, %

Impurities, less than:

Iron

0.014

Aluminium
Nickel
Silicium
Magnesium
Sodium
Potassium
Calcium
Tungsten
Molybdenum
Oxygen and moisture, less than

0.005
0,005
0,005
0,003
0,015
0,05
0,7
0,4
99,7
0.3

Note: Molybdenum weight fraction is defined from the difference between 100% and the sum of the
impurities being defined excluding oxygen and moisture.
The powder contains not less than 92 per cent of grains up to 5 microns in size.

Metallic molybdenum in bars and plates for alloying

Application: steel alloying
Bars dimensions

Section side, mm

Length, not less than

Not less than 10 and not more than 50

300

Bars chemical composition

Defined impurities
Fe
Al
P
S
C
W
Pb
Sb
Sn
As
Zn
Bi
Cd
Cu
O2
H2
N2
Mo
16

Weight fraction, % not more than

0.04
0.02
0.005
0.01
0.01
0.5
0.0001
0.0003
0.0005
0.003
0.001
0.0001
0.0001
0.005
0.008
0.001
0.001
Balance

SPECIFICATIONS FOR METALLIC RHENIUM OF HYDROGEN

REDUCTION IN POWDER
COMPOSITION
Components
Impurities, less than:
Iron
Magnesium
Silicium
Nickel
Molybdenum
Copper
Aluminium
Calcium
Potassium
Oxygen and moisture
Rhenium, more than

Weight fraction, %
0,002
0,0002
0,001
0,0005
0,0007
0,001
0,0007
0,1
99,9856

Dispersivity of metallic rhenium in powder characterized with FSSS size in limits of 3,0-7,5 microns.

SPECIFICATIONS FOR METALLIC RHENIUM OF HYDROGEN

REDUCTION IN BARS
COMPOSITION
Components
Impurities, less than:
Iron
Magnesium
Silicium
Nickel
Molybdenum
Copper
Aluminium
Calcium
Potassium
Oxygen and moisture
Rhenium, more than

Weight fraction, %
0,002
0,0002
0,001
0,0005
0,0007
0,001
0,0007
0,1
99,9856

METALLIC RHENIUM BARS DIMENSIONS AND MAX. DEVIATIONS

Length, mm
nominal
max. deviation
350

50

Section,, mm
nominal
max. deviation
5,5x5,5
9,0x9,0
1,0

Rectilinearity deviation must not exceed 1% of a bar length.

Package provides preservation of products.
Delivery of bars of smaller length is possible in quantity of less than 10% of the weight of the lot.

17

The Tyrnyauz project

The Tyrnyauz mine is the biggest tungsten deposit in Russian Federation which

contains around 50% of all tungsten reserves in Russia. For many years it was
owned by JSC TGOK (Tyrnyauz Mining and Processing Plant), but in 2002
JSC TGOK went bankrupt and the development of the deposit was frozen
up for several years. In 2007 WOLFRAM Company CJSC tried to revive the development of the Tyrnyauz mine by buying the shares of the bankrupted company, but the project did not go further. In 2012 WOLFRAM Company CJSC
and the Government of the Kabardino-Balkar Republic (Russia) established
KB WMC, JSC (Kabardino-Balkarian Tungsten-Molybdenum Company). The
company was founded to develop the Tyrnyauz deposit on the basis of the
existing assets of JSC TGOK and restart the production of tungsten concentrates.
The Tyrnyauz project was presented to D. A. Medvedev, the Prime Minister
of Russian Federation, at Sochi Economic Forum 2012. The founders of KB
WMC represented by the President of the Kabardino-Balkar Republic and
General Director of WOLFRAM Company CJSC gave the detailed information on the project to the Prime Minister.

18

Presentation of the Tyrnyauz project

at Sochi Economic Forum 2012

The lay-out of the Tyrnyauz project

19

Reporting on the Russian tungsten market

situation at ITIA AGM (Vancouver, 2009)

Being a member of ITIA since 2007, we pay great attention to being a part of
the world tungsten community. We take part in annual general meetings of
ITIA every year since 1998. We are happy to give assistance in providing info
on Russian tungsten market to ITIA.

20

103718, Russian Federation, Moscow, Slavyanskaya sq, bldg. 2/5/4

Tel./fax: +7 495 784 68 15, Tel.: +7 495 784 68 14
E-mail: [email protected]
www.wolframcompany.ru