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The "2024 Machine Tool Manufacturing Industry CEO International Forum" will be held on April 7, 2024 at the Kerry Hotel Pudong in Shanghai. The theme of this CEO forum is "Focus - Digital? Interconnected? Intelligent Manufacturing". The "Machine Tool Manufacturing Industry CEO International Forum" was founded in 2014, meticulously organized by the China Machine Tool & Tool Builders' Association, the organizer of CCMT, tailored for global industry CEOs. After years of careful organization, the forum has been successfully held for 9 sessions, developing into an important platform for global industry CEOs and corporate executives to exchange ideas, with good brand influence and high reputation. This year's CEO International Forum will invite representatives from domestic and foreign machine tool companies and key user sectors to deeply discuss industry hotspots and challenges in areas such as digital transformation and intelligent manufacturing, industrial innovation mechanisms and the role of enterprises, talent development and talent environment, exploring traditional markets and expanding international markets, and the demand for machine tool industry in key user sectors, for industry reference. More than 150 global machine tool industry entrepreneurs, representatives from user sectors, as well as some experts, scholars, and media representatives will be invited to participate in the forum activities.

Zhangyuan Tungsten Industry has obtained an invention patent authorization: "A rare earth tungsten rod and its preparation method" Date: 2024-3-28 Source: Securities Star 0 Securities Star news, according to enterprise check data, Zhangyuan Tungsten Industry (002378) has recently obtained a new invention patent authorization, the patent name is "A rare earth tungsten rod and its preparation method", the patent application number is CN202410098979.4, and the authorization date is March 26, 2024. Patent abstract: This invention belongs to the field of powder metallurgy technology, specifically involving a rare earth tungsten rod and its preparation method. By pre-treating rare earth oxides in advance and controlling the moisture content of rare earth oxides, the strength of the tungsten rod blank can be improved, making it less likely to be damaged during handling and sintering, and having good formability. By dividing the moist rare earth oxides and tungsten into equal parts and using a multiple alternate mixing method for mixing, the invention avoids dead corners in the mixer and uneven mixing of rare earth oxide powders, improving the uniform distribution of rare earth oxides in the tungsten powder. The rare earth tungsten rod prepared by this invention has a density of 17.8-18.8g/cm3, a diameter of 20-22mm, a grain number of 3000-3600 in the radial section of the tungsten rod, a maximum difference in rare earth element content in different regions of less than 0.05%, and a porosity rate of less than 5%. Zhangyuan Tungsten Industry has obtained 13 patents since the beginning of this year, an increase of 30% compared to the same period last year. Combining with the company's financial data for the first half of 2023, the company invested 29.12 million yuan in research and development in the first half of 2023, an increase of 18.86% year-on-year.

Mine! Luomu Group, the world's second largest cobalt mine, reaches production time: 2024-3-28 source: Luoyang Industry and Information Bureau Recently, Luoyang Luanchuan Molybdenum Industry Group Co., Ltd.'s TFM mixed ore project invested in the Democratic Republic of the Congo successfully reached production, marking the full operation of the world's second largest cobalt mine. Luomu Group's position as the world's largest cobalt producer has once again been consolidated. It is understood that the total investment of the TFM project is 25.1 billion US dollars, making it the largest single project invested by China in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It consists of an East District 5.6 million tons/year mixed ore production line, a 3.3 million tons/year oxide ore production line, and a Central District 3.5 million tons/year mixed ore production line. The Central District reached production in early August last year. After this production, the TFM project has 5 copper-cobalt production lines, with production capacity increasing from the original daily processing ore capacity of 15,000 tons to 63,000 tons. The annual copper production has increased to over 450,000 tons, not only ranking among the top ten copper mines in the world, but also becoming the world's second largest cobalt mine after Luoyang Molybdenum Industry's KFM project. With the support of the project, Luomu Group's copper and cobalt production is expected to continue to grow rapidly this year. According to the company's main product output and physical trade volume indicators, the company plans to produce 520,000 to 570,000 tons of copper and 60,000 to 70,000 tons of cobalt this year, an increase of over 100,000 tons of copper production capacity and over 10,000 tons of cobalt production capacity from last year. In recent years, with the continuous advancement of major mining projects, Luomu Group has become one of the few large mining enterprises in the world to maintain high-speed growth in copper production. Last year, the group achieved operating income of 186.269 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 7.68%, and a net profit attributable to the parent company of 8.25 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 35.98%, all of which reached historical highs. The person in charge of Luomu Group introduced that this year, the company will take "Lean Year" as the development theme, continue to promote tapping potential, improving quality, reducing costs, and increasing efficiency, and focus on achieving full production standards in the African region, starting construction of the Donggobi mine, increasing efficiency and reducing costs in Brazil, and achieving results in strategic new projects, pushing for more "Belt and Road" projects to land and bear fruit, and striving to move towards the strategic goal of "initially entering the ranks of the world's top mining companies".

Global tungsten production in 2023 is about 78,000 tons. Source: Tungsten and Molybdenum Cloud Merchant Langya Pavilion 0. According to data from the US Geological Survey, in 2023, global tungsten production is about 78,000 tons, a decrease of 2.26% compared to the previous year. Among them, China's tungsten production is the highest, at 63,000 tons, accounting for 80.77% of the total global production, but a decrease of 4.55% compared to the previous year; Vietnam is second, at 3,500 tons, accounting for 4.49% of the total global production, a decrease of 12.50% compared to the previous year; Russia is third, at 2,000 tons, remaining unchanged compared to the previous year. In 2023, global tungsten reserves are about 4.4 million tons, an increase of 15.79% compared to the previous year. Among them, China has the highest tungsten reserves, at 2.3 million tons, accounting for 52.27% of the total global reserves.

New breakthrough in cobalt metal exploration in Xinjiang! Date: 2024-1-15 Source: Mining Industry 0. Recently, reporters learned from the Natural Resources Bureau of Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, that after years of efforts, the region has made new breakthroughs in cobalt metal resource exploration on the northeastern edge of the Junggar Basin. It is reported that the Yundu Karatong Gold-Copper-Cobalt Mine in Fuyun County, located on the northeastern edge of the Junggar Basin, is located in the junction of the Almantai Gou Arc Belt-Sawuer-Ertai Late Paleozoic Island Arc Belt, with its main body within the Almantai Gou Arc Belt. Technical personnel from the Fourth Geological Brigade of the Xinjiang Geological and Mineral Exploration Bureau, responsible for exploration work, stated that within this area, the activity of fault structures provides power and some heat sources for the transportation and enrichment of ore fluids and hydrothermal fluids. Secondary structures such as cleavage and joints provide channels and space for the transportation and storage of ore fluids, which is consistent with the distribution and characteristics of mineralization. Geological workers have preliminarily identified 15 gold-copper (gold, cobalt) ore bodies in the Yundu Karatong Mine, including 9 gold ore bodies and 6 gold-copper-cobalt ore bodies. All ore bodies are distributed within the fractured alteration zone, forming thick and rich ore bodies at the turning points and weak parts of the fractured zone, and the ore bodies have layered, parallel, or branching composite characteristics. Using the vertical projection method, the inferred total ore reserve of ore bodies 3, 4, and 6 is estimated to be 38.3819 million tons, including 148,500 tons of copper metal with an average grade of 0.39%; 11.22 tons of associated gold metal with an average grade of 0.29 grams/ton; and 7,429.11 tons of associated cobalt metal with an average grade of 0.02%. Data shows that cobalt, as a rare magnetic hard metal, can maintain high strength at high temperatures, and has low thermal and electrical conductivity and strong ferromagnetism. It is widely used in electrical appliances, machinery manufacturing, and other fields. Due to the relatively limited cobalt metal resources, its market demand has been continuously increasing with the development of new energy and other related industries, thus having broad prospects for development and application.

Xiamen Tungsten Industry: Steady Performance in 2023, Net Profit Increased by 10.57% YoY Date: January 18, 2024 Source: Nonferrous Metals Network Xiamen Tungsten Industry (600549) recently released its 2023 performance report. During the reporting period, the company's total operating revenue was 39.42 billion yuan, a decrease of 18.25% YoY. Net profit was 1.599 billion yuan, an increase of 10.57% YoY. Basic earnings per share were 1.13 yuan. Xiamen Tungsten Industry stated that during the reporting period, the company focused on its three main businesses, operated steadily, and continuously improved its overall profitability. At the same time, the company actively withdrew from the real estate business and achieved certain results. Although the company's total operating revenue declined, the growth in net profit indicates that the company has achieved significant results in cost control and efficiency improvement. In addition, the company's withdrawal from the real estate business is also part of its strategic transformation, allowing more resources and energy to be invested in the development of core businesses. Xiamen Tungsten Industry's main businesses include the development, processing, and sales of tungsten, rare earth, molybdenum, cobalt, copper, and other nonferrous metals. As one of the largest tungsten product manufacturers and exporters in China, the company has a high level of visibility and influence in the nonferrous metals industry. In the future, with the transformation and upgrading of China's economic structure and the increasing environmental protection requirements, the nonferrous metals industry will face greater challenges and opportunities. Xiamen Tungsten Industry will continue to leverage its advantages, strengthen technological innovation and product research and development, improve the competitiveness and added value of core products, in order to adapt to market changes and customer demands.

Zhangyuan Tungsten Industry: Tungsten powder production capacity is 15,000 tons/year, tungsten carbide powder production capacity is 13,100 tons/year, and future capacity expansion will be based on market conditions. Date: 2024-1-18 Source: Finance World On January 16th, Finance World reported that according to the disclosure of the investor relations activity record form by Zhangyuan Tungsten Industry, the company's tungsten powder production capacity is 15,000 tons/year, tungsten carbide powder production capacity is 13,100 tons/year, and the production capacity of ultrafine tungsten carbide powder is 2,500 tons/year (Phase I), which has been gradually released. Future capacity expansion will be based on market conditions. Ganzhou Aoketai's high-performance hard alloy precision cutting tool production capacity is 20 million pieces/year, and the hard alloy bar production capacity is 1,000 tons/year. The sales volume of cutting tools remains steadily growing, and the gross profit margin continues to improve. In the future, Ganzhou Aoketai will continue to expand the production capacity of competitive and high value-added products based on market demand.

Chenzhou Tungsten Company's special tungsten-based new material powder intelligent production line was put into operation on January 22, 2024. Chenzhou Tungsten Company's special tungsten-based new material powder intelligent production line is a high-end deep processing project of Zhongtung High-tech to promote the quality development of the tungsten industry chain, optimize industrial layout, and adjust product structure. It has been included in Chenzhou City's key projects for 2023. The project officially started at the end of April 2023, with a planned total investment of 500 million yuan and three phases of construction. With the strong support of the Chenzhou Municipal Party Committee and Government and the High-tech Industrial Park, as well as the overall coordination and careful deployment by Zhongtung High-tech, and the joint efforts of all employees of Chenzhou Tungsten Company and all cooperative construction parties, the project construction has been efficiently promoted. After 8 months of arduous struggle, the first phase of the project was successfully completed by the end of 2023. The first phase of the project concentrated the company's internal advantages in technology and equipment, focused on upgrading the core equipment of key processes in powder preparation, and aimed to build a lighthouse project in the tungsten carbide powder industry, achieving the goal of a "dark factory". After the completion and production of all three phases of the project, it will achieve an annual new production capacity of 10,000 tons, creating an annual economic benefit of more than 3 billion yuan. Li Zhongze stated that the completion and operation of the project is an important part of Zhongtung High-tech's extension of the industrial chain and value chain in Chenzhou, and a new milestone in enhancing the core competitiveness and strengthening core functions of the enterprise. It will further consolidate the overall advantage of Zhongtung High-tech's full industrial chain and its leading position in the industry, and play an important role in the economic and social development of Chenzhou City. In the future, Zhongtung High-tech will further leverage its own industrial advantages, continuously expand cooperation areas, further optimize investment layout, achieve high-quality development, and accelerate its entry into the world's tungsten industry camp, making greater contributions to economic prosperity and social progress.

Zhongtung High-Tech: It is estimated that powder products, drill teeth, tantalum-niobium products, etc. will have a good year-on-year growth in 2023. Date: January 22, 2024 Source: SMM Tungsten Vision 0 Caixin News. Zhongtung High-Tech recently stated during institutional research that the company is currently organizing the relevant information for 2023. For specific details, please refer to the company's annual report and related announcements for 2023 that will be disclosed in the future. It is expected that powder products, drill teeth, tantalum-niobium products, etc. will have a good year-on-year growth, while rod materials, rolling rolls, and other products will remain stable or experience a slight decrease in year-on-year growth.

The seminar on two group standard projects of the China Machine Tool and Tool Industry Association was held in Ningbo, China on January 19, 2024. More than 20 experts from the special processing machine tool industry and domestic key user enterprises attended the meeting. Mu Donghui, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Machine Tool and Tool Industry Association and Director of the Industry Development Department, and Wu Qiang, Chairman of the Special Processing Machine Tool Branch, attended the meeting. The meeting was hosted by Zhejiang Aigesen Intelligent Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Deputy Secretary-General Mu Donghui stated in his speech that the purpose of the association's formulation of group standards is to meet the needs of national construction, take enterprises as the main body, operate in a market-oriented manner, help enterprises transform and upgrade, guide industry self-discipline, promote fair competition, and promote the high-quality development of the machine tool and tool industry. He fully affirmed the work done by the Special Processing Machine Tool Branch in the preliminary research, project initiation, draft writing, and progress arrangement of the group standard project, and hoped that the drafting working group would fully communicate, discuss, and scientifically verify during the formulation process, and comprehensively complete the project tasks. Chairman Wu Qiang pointed out that standardization innovation has become an important part of the national scientific and technological development strategy. Group standards have the characteristics of faster speed, technological updates, more flexible mechanisms, and higher indicators, which can better reflect the value of standards in promoting technological progress and industrial upgrading. He requested that the drafting group carry out test verification on important technical content and indicators to ensure the scientific, professional, practical, and operational nature of the standards. At the same time, he insisted on problem orientation, goal orientation, and result orientation, starting from the perspective of promoting the high-quality development of the industry, aiming to meet the new demands of applications, and promoting the integration of the industrial chain and innovation chain. Zhang Yongping, General Manager of Zhejiang Aigesen Intelligent Manufacturing Co., Ltd., warmly welcomed the leaders and experts who came to Ningbo to attend the meeting, and briefly introduced the company's development process, key products, and strategic planning. He stated that standardization work will further promote the improvement of product performance and quality and brand building for enterprises. Zhejiang Aigesen will practice the concept of interactive development between standards and technological innovation, view the industry development trend with a broader vision, actively participate in standardization work, and contribute to the high-quality development of the industry. During the meeting, the participants had comprehensive, serious, and detailed discussions on the standard framework, chapter settings, technical content, normativeness, accuracy, and other aspects, and put forward specific suggestions for modifications. The atmosphere of the meeting was lively and the discussions were enthusiastic. Secretary-General Lu Zhiliang made a summary of the meeting and hoped that the relevant drafting units would implement the test verification work of important technical content after the meeting. During the meeting, some experts also visited Zhejiang Aigesen Intelligent Manufacturing Co., Ltd. and held discussions and exchanges.

Research reveals the competitive reaction mechanism of in-situ adaptive growth of graphene coating on the surface of hard alloy substrates. Date: 9th January 2024. Source: Institute of New Materials, Guangdong Academy of Sciences. Friction and wear are key factors causing energy loss and failure of critical moving parts in engineering equipment. Novel solid lubrication coatings and deposition techniques provide effective ways to improve the quality and lifespan of engineering equipment. Graphene's excellent mechanical properties make it a promising candidate for reducing wear in the field of solid lubrication. However, achieving continuous in-situ growth of graphene in industrial applications still presents challenges. Recently, a research team composed of South China University of Technology, Institute of New Materials, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, and City University of Hong Kong, used high-temperature solid solution and competitive catalytic reaction regulation strategies to achieve in-situ adaptive growth of high-quality graphene coatings on hard alloy (WC-Co) substrates, greatly improving the lubrication performance of hard alloys. Furthermore, the research team revealed through ab initio simulation the competitive inhibition effect of Co atoms, which compete with Ni atoms in a non-bonding form and obtain electrons from C, weakening the Ni-C bond and reducing energy loss, thereby promoting the adaptive growth of graphene. This weak bonding effect caused by the competitive reaction reduces the sliding energy barrier and interfacial separation work on the surface of the graphene coating, thereby reducing surface friction. By adopting this competitive reaction strategy, it is expected to extend the application of hard alloy substrates to various industrial materials composed of metals with competitive catalytic reaction characteristics, in order to achieve engineering applications of graphene coatings for reducing friction. This research achievement was published in the international carbon materials journal Carbon (Q1, TOP journal, IF=10.9). The Institute of New Materials, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, is the second affiliation, and Professor Lin Songsheng is a co-corresponding author. This research work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation and the Development Special Fund of Guangdong Academy of Sciences. Original article link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2023.118561

Zhuzhou Cemented carbide Group Co., Ltd Achieves "Grand Slam" in Green Manufacturing Application, Date: January 5, 2024, Source: Hunan Daily. Recently, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced the list of green manufacturing for the year 2023. Zhuzhou Cemented Carbide Group Co., Ltd. (referred to as ZCC) was listed for the fourth time and successfully selected as a national "Green Supply Chain Management Enterprise," achieving the "Grand Slam" of individual application for green manufacturing by the company. It will also become a "Grand Slam" enterprise in the green manufacturing system for Zhu Zhou City and Zhongtung High-tech. Under the background of "dual carbon," promoting green transformation is crucial for manufacturing enterprises. The list of green manufacturing is organized nationwide by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and includes categories such as green factories, green design demonstration enterprises, green supply chain management enterprises, and green design products. Obtaining this national honor means that the award-winning enterprise is a leader in green manufacturing among domestic peers. In 2019, ZCC was awarded the title of "National Green Factory." In 2021, it was awarded the title of Hunan Province Water-saving Enterprise. In the same year, the officially released green design product standard T/CNIA 0095-2021 "Technical Specification for Evaluation of Green Design Products for Hard Alloy Products," which was led by ZCC, became the domestic green design product standard for hard alloy. In 2021, it was selected as one of the third batch of "Industrial Product Green Design Demonstration Enterprises" in the country. From 2014 to 2022, ZCC has been awarded the title of "Hunan Province Environmental Integrity Enterprise" for nine consecutive years. In 2023, a certain model of YK05 grade product obtained the title of "*Green Design Product." Starting from this point, more "dual carbon" new products are continuously being developed. With the concept of sustainable development as the top-level design, ZCC continues to promote the integrated "dual carbon" action throughout the entire supply chain, creating a new industrial ecology with green, low-carbon, and ecological circular development. It closely collaborates with upstream and downstream partners to create social value, shoulder social responsibilities, and jointly promote high-quality and sustainable development of the entire industry.

Researchers have synthesized a new material with hardness comparable to that of diamonds. Diamond is the hardest substance found in nature and can be used as an abrasive or coating for drill bits. According to a recent press release from the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom, a team of researchers from the university has synthesized a carbon nitride compound with hardness comparable to diamonds, which has the potential to become a versatile material with a wide range of industrial applications. In the late 1980s, the scientific community predicted that a certain form of carbon nitride compound could have a hardness even greater than that of diamonds, but laboratory sample preparation results were not ideal. The research team, composed of researchers from the University of Edinburgh and the University of Bayreuth in Germany, among other institutions, announced that they have synthesized a carbon nitride material with hardness comparable to diamonds and have measured its physical properties. The related paper was recently published in the international academic journal "Advanced Materials". The researchers applied pressures ranging from 70 gigapascals to 135 gigapascals (1 gigapascal is approximately equal to 10,000 times atmospheric pressure) to different carbon nitride precursors, while also heating these precursor materials to temperatures above 1500 degrees Celsius. Under these synthesis conditions, the researchers discovered three carbon nitride compounds that possess the necessary components for ultra-high hardness, and these compounds also retain diamond-like properties at normal temperature and pressure. Further calculations and experiments have shown that these compounds also have additional characteristics, including photoluminescence and high energy density. The researchers state that these carbon nitride compounds have enormous potential for applications and could become industrial materials comparable to diamonds. They may be used in the future for protective coatings for cars and spacecraft, highly durable cutting tools, solar panels, and optoelectronic detectors, among other things.

Sifangda has obtained a patent for polycrystalline diamond and its preparation method, achieving the bonding of diamond particles under the catalysis of the binder. Date: January 5, 2024. Source: DT Semiconductor. According to the announcement of the National Intellectual Property Administration, Henan Sifangda Superhard Materials Co., Ltd. has obtained a patent titled "Polycrystalline Diamond and its Preparation Method, Polycrystalline Diamond Composite Material and its Preparation Method", with the authorization announcement number CN115433847B, and the authorization date is January 2, 2024. Patent abstract: The present invention relates to polycrystalline diamond and its preparation method, as well as polycrystalline diamond composite material and its preparation method, belonging to the field of superhard composite materials technology. The preparation method of the polycrystalline diamond of the present invention involves sequentially subjecting the raw materials to a first-stage high-temperature sintering treatment and a second-stage high-temperature sintering treatment. The first-stage high-temperature sintering treatment can graphitize the surface of the diamond particles and activate (melt) the binder, thereby enabling the binder to be evenly distributed between the diamond particles and on the surface of the particles. The second-stage high-temperature sintering treatment can catalyze the bonding of the diamond particles under the action of the binder, resulting in highly dense and evenly distributed polycrystalline diamond. Due to the longer duration of the first-stage high-temperature sintering treatment, the binder can be fully activated, allowing for more uniform infiltration of the binder into the diamond particles, thereby ensuring better completion of the bonding of the diamond particles in the second-stage high-temperature sintering treatment.

Mysteel Daily: Tungsten Market Remains Stable and Strong Date: January 8, 2024 Source: MySteel According to the China Passenger Car Association, it is estimated that the wholesale sales of new energy passenger vehicles reached 1.13 million units in December, an increase of 50% compared to the same period last year and an 18% increase compared to the previous month. The cumulative wholesale sales from January to December 2023 reached 8.88 million units, a 38% increase year-on-year. According to Mysteel's statistics, as of January 4, 2024, 13 automakers have released their December 2023 sales data for new energy vehicles. Among them, BYD (002594), Ideal Automobile, and GAC Aion ranked top three in terms of sales volume, with 341,043 units, 50,353 units, and 45,947 units respectively. In terms of year-on-year growth, 10 automakers experienced an increase in sales of new energy vehicles in December, with Zhiqi Automobile showing the largest growth of 2,188.35%, followed by Lantu Automobile with a growth of 479.35%. In terms of month-on-month growth, 11 automakers saw an increase in sales of new energy vehicles in December, with Sailis (601127) showing the highest growth of 76.81%. Tungsten Powder: This week, the quotation for tungsten powder is in the range of 270-273 yuan/kg, while tungsten carbide powder is in the range of 265-268 yuan/kg. The prices remain unchanged compared to yesterday. This week, there have been fewer inquiries in the powder market, and transactions mainly involve immediate needs. Upstream prices continue to remain strong, while the downstream market overall remains quiet but stable. Market participants are waiting for replenishment demands from the downstream market and the next round of quotations from major companies. Cobalt Powder: The mainstream price range in the market is between 205,000 and 210,000 yuan/ton, which is unchanged from the previous trading day. The demand in the downstream hard alloy market is average, but there is a high level of stockpiling within the market. Some companies have saturated order volumes at the moment, and there is an active trading atmosphere before the end of the year. Quotations remain relatively firm within a small range, and it is expected that cobalt powder prices will stabilize in the short term. Scrap Tungsten: The mainstream price for scrap tungsten grinding materials with a WO content of ≥90% is around 1.71 yuan/kWh (excluding tax), and the price for electrolytic tungsten carbide is 235 yuan/kg. Upstream quotations remain strong, and scrap prices remain stable. Trading by traders is relatively stable, and there is still a bullish sentiment for the future market. The scrap market is still showing an upward trend. Hard Alloy: The hard alloy market is weak in demand and lacks positive factors to support it. Upstream prices remain strong and are showing an upward trend. Raw material powder procurement is also relatively strong. However, due to poor end-consumer demand and a lack of significant purchasing plans, there is little willingness to accept higher prices. Currently, there is only demand for essential purchases. It is unclear whether manufacturers will have replenishment needs before the year-end holiday, so the market is waiting for a surge in demand.

Xiamen Tungsten Industry: Photovoltaic tungsten wire is a high-end product independently developed by the company in recent years, with complete independent intellectual property rights. Date: December 1, 2023 Source: SMM Tungsten View 0 Xiamen Tungsten Industry (600549.SH) stated on the investor interaction platform on November 27 that the funds raised from this private placement will mainly be used for the expansion project of hard alloy cutting tools, the construction project of a 1 billion-meter photovoltaic tungsten wire production line, and the construction project of the Yumapo tungsten-molybdenum mine in Bobai County. Among them, the photovoltaic tungsten wire is a high-end product independently developed by the company in recent years, with complete independent intellectual property rights, and has multiple national invention patents and utility model patents in this product.

The first cobalt-nickel resource recovery demonstration line in the Panxi region has been completed and put into operation, with a cobalt recovery rate of over 80%. Date: December 6, 2023. Source: Cover News. On December 4, it was learned from Panzhihua Iron and Steel Group that the newly built cobalt-nickel resource recovery demonstration line for vanadium-titanium magnetite in the Panxi region has been completed and put into operation. This is the first production line to recover cobalt-nickel products from vanadium-titanium magnetite resources in the Panxi region, with a cobalt recovery rate of over 80%. Cobalt-nickel resource recovery demonstration line. Cobalt is an important strategic metal with good high-temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, and magnetic properties. It is an important raw material and strategic resource for manufacturing high-temperature alloys, hard alloys, ceramic pigments, etc. In the vanadium-titanium magnetite in Panzhihua, there are abundant reserves of sulfur, cobalt, nickel, copper, and other associated elements. In 2004, Panzhihua Iron and Steel Mining Company officially completed the sulfur (cobalt) concentrate production line, realizing the industrialized recovery of sulfur. By 2023, the sulfur (cobalt) concentrate production capacity will reach 45,000 tons per year. However, due to the low cobalt content in sulfur (cobalt) concentrate, cobalt is not priced when sold as a product, resulting in the waste of cobalt resources. According to the relevant person in charge of Panzhihua Iron and Steel Mining Company, starting from 2021, the company has cooperated with the Institute of Mineral Resources Comprehensive Utilization of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences to carry out the project of "Technical Research on Cobalt Resource Recovery from Associated Cobalt in Panxi Vanadium-Titanium Magnetite". After a large number of experimental studies, a technical solution for sulfur-cobalt separation was formulated to develop new flotation reagents, adjust formulas, and optimize flotation processes, achieving efficient separation and recovery of cobalt-rich minerals. Through sorting, the cobalt grade in the sulfur (cobalt) rough concentrate increased from 0.3% to over 1.0%, and the nickel grade increased from 0.7% to over 2.0%. The cobalt recovery rate reached over 80%. In 2022, Panzhihua Iron and Steel Mining Company began to independently design and construct the cobalt-nickel resource recovery demonstration line. In October of this year, through systematic research and implementation of technology integration and transformation, a cobalt-nickel resource recovery demonstration line with an annual processing capacity of 30,000 tons of sulfur (cobalt) rough concentrate was built in Xinbaima Company. Up to now, over 100 tons of cobalt-nickel concentrate have been produced.

Xiamen Tungsten Industry has obtained a patent for a tungsten-cobalt waste residue recycling method, with a recycling efficiency of up to 95%. Date: December 7, 2023. Source: SMM Tungsten Vision 0. According to the announcement of the National Intellectual Property Administration, Xiamen Tungsten Industry Co., Ltd. has obtained a patent titled "A Method for Recycling Tungsten-Cobalt Waste Residue", with the authorization announcement number CN114921655B and the application date in May 2022. The patent abstract shows that the invention relates to a method for recycling tungsten-cobalt waste residue, including the following steps: mixing the tungsten-cobalt waste residue with water, slurring the mixture, filtering the slurry using a pressure filtration device to obtain filter cake, drying the filter cake using a drying device to remove oil and water, obtaining dried material, crushing the dried material using a crushing device to obtain crushed material, adding the crushed material, water, and alkaline reagent to a slurry tank to obtain a slurry, adding the slurry to a high-pressure oxygen leaching device, heating and pressurizing for reaction, obtaining post-reaction material, separating the post-reaction material using solid-liquid separation equipment to separate the liquid phase and solid phase, adding a reducing agent to the liquid phase, performing ion exchange on the remaining liquid phase after chromium recovery, obtaining tungsten product. This invention can efficiently recover tungsten and chromium from tungsten-cobalt waste residue, with a recovery rate of greater than or equal to 95%, and has excellent recyclability and cost-effectiveness.

European tungsten industry in a slump, leading companies going against the trend. Date: December 7, 2023. Source: Zhongzheng Commodity Research Institute. After 2021, despite the economy being lower than pre-crisis levels, the demand for tungsten in the European market began to recover. Starting in 2022, it reached a stable level, mainly due to the rapid growth in industries such as petroleum and natural gas, including catalysts, with tungsten demand increasing by 2% compared to 2021. In 2023, the European economy continued to remain sluggish. As the tungsten market was operating at relatively high levels and with a decrease in orders for tungsten companies, the market entered a destocking phase (during the COVID-19 pandemic and the start of the Ukraine war, high inventory levels were maintained due to concerns about supply interruptions). This will lead to a 20% decrease in tungsten demand. It is expected that the weak economic atmosphere in the European Union will continue in 2024, and the impact of tight monetary policies will continue to suppress economic activity. In the long run, more attention and resources will be tilted towards areas such as semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, energy production, infrastructure, and defense. In terms of new technologies, breakthroughs and developments are expected in the use of tungsten in areas such as battery storage, brake disc coatings, and fusion technology. This will have a positive impact on the growth of tungsten consumption, to some extent compensating for the decline in tungsten demand in traditional sectors. Despite the pessimistic atmosphere and weak demand in the European tungsten market, leading companies are experiencing growth against the trend. Sandvik's profit margin in the third quarter of 2023 was 20.1%, continuing to maintain strong growth. Key data for the third quarter: order volume of 28.927 billion Swedish kronor, a decrease of 4%; quarterly revenue of 31.476 billion Swedish kronor, an increase of 4%; adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITA) of 6.312 billion Swedish kronor, adjusted EBITA profit margin of 20.1%; adjusted pre-tax profit of 5.815 billion Swedish kronor, adjusted pre-tax profit margin of 18.5%; adjusted pre-tax profit of 5.056 billion Swedish kronor, current profit of 3.9 billion Swedish kronor, and adjusted profit of 3.949 billion Swedish kronor.

Tengyuan Cobalt Industry ranks among the "Top 100 Private Enterprises in Jiangxi in 2023" Date: November 13, 2023 Source: Tengyuan Cobalt Industry On November 3, the "2023 Jiangxi Top 100 Private Enterprises and Social Responsibility Press Conference" was held in Nanchang. Tengyuan Cobalt Industry ranked among the "Top 100 Private Enterprises in Jiangxi in 2023" with an operating income of 4.8 billion yuan. During the conference, the lists of the "Top 100 Private Enterprises in Jiangxi in 2023," "Top 100 Private Manufacturing Enterprises," and "Top 20 Private Service Enterprises" were announced. The entry threshold for the Top 100 Private Enterprises in Jiangxi in 2023 was 4.179 billion yuan, the entry threshold for the Top 100 Private Manufacturing Enterprises was 3.131 billion yuan, and the entry threshold for the Top 20 Private Service Enterprises was 1.328 billion yuan, all of which were the highest in recent years. There were two enterprises with operating income exceeding 10 billion yuan and 36 enterprises with operating income exceeding 1 billion yuan, an increase of 9 compared to the previous year. Six private enterprises were included in the "2023 China Top 500 Private Enterprises," and nine private enterprises were included in the "China Top 500 Private Manufacturing Enterprises." Tengyuan Cobalt Industry was established in 2004. It is a multinational modern enterprise that integrates research, technology, design, production, and trade. The company's headquarters is located at No. 9 Xijin Avenue, Ganzhou High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Jiangxi. The company adheres to the strategic thinking of "expanding the midstream, expanding the upstream, extending the downstream; relying on resource areas for guarantee, and focusing on the development of new materials," actively deploying natural resources and secondary resources. All the company's processes and production lines are independently developed and designed, with key equipment self-made. The technological level is industry-leading and has exclusivity. The production line is continuous, automated, and intelligent, with high recovery rate of valuable metals. The company is committed to producing high-quality, low-cost products through technological innovation, providing customers with valuable services, and becoming a globally competitive enterprise in the field of new energy battery materials.