Wolfram Bergbau und Hütten

What Wolfram Bergbau und Hütten does

Wolfram Bergbau und Hütten AG is an Austrian specialty materials producer founded in 1975 (with mining operations beginning in 1976) and headquartered in Sankt Martin im Sulmtal. The company manufactures two core product lines — tungsten carbide powder (CRC® ultra-fine, standard WC, and HTWC high-temperature grades) and tungsten metal powder (submicron, fine, and medium/coarse grades) — with Fisher grain sizes spanning 0.5 µm to 25 µm and optional doped variants. Output is sold on a one-time transactional basis to industrial customers in the cemented carbide tooling industry and downstream sectors including automotive, aerospace, energy, mining and infrastructure, and electronics. The company operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sweden's Sandvik AB, sitting within Sandvik's Powder Solutions Division.

The business is fully vertically integrated. Wolfram owns and operates the Mittersill underground tungsten mine in Austria — described as one of the most significant tungsten mines globally and home to Europe's largest scheelite deposit — with ore transported via an environmentally friendly conveyor-belt tunnel to a downstream processing plant. Refining and powder production occur at the St. Martin im Sulmtal headquarters, and a dedicated recycling facility in Chiplun, India processes used tungsten carbide tools back into usable powder without chemical conversion. Approximately 50% of finished products are sourced from recycled material, supported by a 35-year corporate commitment to sustainability.

Wolfram's go-to-market is a direct enterprise field-sales model with a named sales leadership team (President, CFO, VP Sales, Area Sales Manager Europe, Senior Sales Manager, Expert Powder Metallurgy). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is handled through direct quotation based on volume and technical specifications. The company holds ISO 9001 (since 1994 — the first in the global tungsten industry), ISO 14001 (since 1999), and ISO 45001 (since 2020); is Conflict Free Smelter certified under CFSI and RMAP-recognized; and is a founding member of the Tungsten Industry – Conflict Mineral Council and member of the ITRI Tin Supply Chain Initiative. Strategic activities include a 2024 partnership with Freemelt AB and Mid Sweden University to industrialize E-PBF additive manufacturing with tungsten powder, a 2021 green-hydrogen supply agreement with Energie Steiermark (840,000 m³/year), and SBTi-aligned decarbonization targets.

Name

Wolfram Bergbau und Hütten

Legal name

Wolfram Bergbau und Hütten AG

Website

https://wolfram.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Wolfram Bergbau und Hütten AG is an Austrian specialty materials producer, wholly owned by Sandvik AB, that manufactures tungsten carbide and tungsten metal powders (submicron to coarse) for cemented carbide tooling, automotive, aerospace, energy, mining, and electronics manufacturers from its own Mittersill mine, St. Martin im Sulmtal refinery, and Chiplun recycling center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tungsten Powder Manufacturing

NAICS

Powder Metallurgy Part Manufacturing (332117)

SIC

Primary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3330)

akta.pro primary industry

Metal Powders (LPBF/DMLS/EBM) (IMAAABAE)

Keywords

• Tungsten powder production
• Cemented carbide materials
• Powder metallurgy supplies
• Tungsten mining operations
• Metal powder recycling

Headquarters

HQ city

Sankt Martin Im Sulmtal

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tungsten Carbide Powder Sales: Primary revenue stream from sale of tungsten carbide powder products (CRC®, WC, HTWC grades) to cemented carbide manufacturers for cutting and drilling tool production.
2. Tungsten Metal Powder Sales: Sale of tungsten metal powder in various grain sizes for use in carbide production and sintered tungsten/tungsten alloy manufacturing.
3. Recycling Services: Processing of customer scrap and secondary tungsten materials through recycling program, converting used tungsten carbide tools and production returns back into usable powder products.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wolfram Bergbau und Hütten produces and supplies high-quality tungsten carbide powder (WC) and tungsten metal powder (W) in various grain sizes ranging from submicron to coarse. The company combines raw materials from its own Mittersill tungsten mine, globally sourced ores and concentrates, and recycled materials (over 50% of production) to manufacture powders that serve cemented carbide tool makers and other industrial customers.

Product overview

Wolfram Bergbau und Hütten is a world-leading supplier of high-quality tungsten-based powders, operating as a B2B supplier to the powder metallurgy industry. The product portfolio consists of two core product lines: tungsten carbide powder (Wolframcarbidpulver) and tungsten metal powder (Wolframmetallpulver), each available in multiple grain size variants from submicron to coarse. Tungsten carbide products include the CRC® ultra-fine line, standard WC grades, and HTWC high-temperature variants, while tungsten metal powders are offered as submicron, fine, and medium/coarse grades. Both product lines include optional doped variants for specialized applications. Raw materials are sourced from the company's own Mittersill mine in Austria, globally procured ores and concentrates, and recycled materials, with over 50% of raw materials coming from secondary (recycled) sources. Products serve high-tech industries including tooling, automotive, aerospace, energy, infrastructure, electronics, and mining.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CRC® Ultra-fine Tungsten Carbide Powder Ultra-fine tungsten carbides with BET surface area greater than 2.4 m²/g, used in hard metal alloys for high-performance cutting and drilling applications. Targeted at cemented carbide manufacturers.
• Standard WC Powder Standard carburized tungsten carbides with Fisher grain sizes ranging from 0.5 to 14 µm, used as the primary tungsten compound in WC-Co, WC-mixed carbide-Co, and WC-Co/Ni/Fe cermets and other hard metal alloys.
• HTWC High-Temperature Wolfram Carbide High-temperature carburized tungsten carbides with Fisher grain sizes from 2 to 25 µm, designed for applications requiring superior thermal stability in cemented carbide products.
• W Submicron Tungsten Metal Powder Tungsten metal powder with grain size below 1.0 µm, used as raw material for tungsten carbide powder production and manufacturing of sintered tungsten and tungsten alloys.
• W Fine Tungsten Metal Powder Tungsten metal powder with grain size of 1.0–1.5 µm, offering highest melting point of all metals and lowest vapor pressure, used for carbide production and sintered components.
• W Medium/Coarse Tungsten Metal Powder Tungsten metal powder with grain size greater than 1.5 µm, possessing extreme density, high modulus of elasticity, low thermal expansion, and high thermal conductivity for industrial applications.
• Tungsten Carbide Recycling Services Comprehensive recycling service that recovers and reuses high-quality intermediates from tungsten carbide tools, converting used parts to quality powder through furnace processing without chemical conversion. Serves manufacturers with tungsten carbide scrap and production returns.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% of products are recycled and made into new powders, reducing CO2 footprint for the full value chain
• +3 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Freemelt ABcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2024Wolfram, Freemelt AB, and Mid Sweden University signed a cooperation agreement to accelerate the industrialization of additive manufacturing and E-PBF (Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion) technology with tungsten powder. This strategic partnership aims to advance the development of tungsten-based additive manufacturing capabilities.
• Mid Sweden UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2024Academic partnership with Mid Sweden University alongside Freemelt AB for joint research and development of additive manufacturing with tungsten powder. The cooperation focuses on accelerating E-PBF technology industrialization.
• Energie SteiermarkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2021Wolfram signed a purchase agreement for 840,000 m3 per year of green hydrogen as part of a project to establish an innovative hydrogen production facility in Gabersdorf, Austria. This partnership supports Wolfram's sustainability goals and transition to renewable energy.
• Tungsten Industry - Conflict Mineral Council (TI-CMC)coreOthersWolfram is a founding member of the Tungsten Industry - Conflict Mineral Council, an industry body dedicated to responsible sourcing of conflict minerals in the tungsten supply chain.
• ITRI Tin Supply Chain Initiative (iTSCi)coreOthersWolfram is a member of iTSCi, which is dedicated to supply chain traceability of concentrates from mine to smelter, supporting conflict-free sourcing compliance.
• OECDcoreOthersWolfram maintains ongoing contact with OECD and follows OECD Due Diligence Guidelines for responsible supply chain management of minerals from conflict-affected and high-risk areas.
• Conflict Free Sourcing Initiative (CFSI)coreOthersWolfram maintains regular contact with CFSI and undergoes annual Conflict Free Smelter audits by independent auditors appointed by CFSI to demonstrate conflict-free sourcing practices.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• H.C. Starck Tungsten (Masan High-Tech Materials): German-headquartered tungsten powder producer now owned by Masan High-Tech Materials (Vietnam). Directly comparable to Wolfram as a manufacturer of tungsten metal powder and tungsten carbide powder for the cemented carbide industry, with similar grain size portfolios.
• Global Tungsten & Powders (GTP): US-based producer of tungsten metal powder and tungsten carbide powder serving the cutting tool, mining, and wear parts markets. Closely comparable to Wolfram in product range, grain size offerings, and customer base in cemented carbides.
• Ceratizit (Plansee Group): Austria-headquartered manufacturer of tungsten carbide cutting tools and hard materials, part of the Plansee Group. Directly comparable as a European tungsten carbide specialist with overlapping product portfolio and similar industrial customer base.
• Xiamen Tungsten Co., Ltd. Major Chinese integrated tungsten producer covering mining, ammonium paratungstate, tungsten oxide, tungsten powder, and cemented carbide. Directly comparable in product scope, though at materially larger scale and with a different cost structure.
• Chongyi Zhangyuan Tungsten Co., Ltd. One of China's largest tungsten powder and tungsten carbide producers, vertically integrated from mining to finished tools. Comparable to Wolfram in tungsten powder and cemented carbide offerings, with significant global market share.
• Almonty Industries Inc. Toronto-listed tungsten mining and processing company with the Sangdong mine in South Korea and Panasqueira in Portugal. Comparable as a non-Chinese tungsten mining and processing operator focused on Western supply diversification.
• Nippon Tungsten Co., Ltd. Japanese manufacturer of tungsten powder, tungsten carbide, and cemented carbide products. Comparable to Wolfram in tungsten powder grain size offerings and cemented carbide end markets, with strong Asian customer footprint.
• Zhuzhou Cemented Carbide Group: China-based state-owned cemented carbide and tungsten powder producer, part of the China Minmetals group. Comparable to Wolfram in tungsten powder and hard metal products, with significant global share particularly in cutting tools and mining bits.

Broad incumbents

• Kennametal Inc. US-listed global supplier of metalworking tools and wear-resistant solutions, including tungsten carbide-based products. Comparable as a downstream customer and broad industry incumbent that uses tungsten powder, but operates at significantly larger scale and across the value chain.
• Sandvik AB: Wolfram's parent company and a global mining and rock processing, metal-cutting, and materials technology group. Comparable as the parent operating the Powder Solutions Division of which Wolfram is part, with overlapping customer base in cutting tools and mining.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@WolframMaterials
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• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wolfram-bergbau-und-h%C3%BCtten-ag

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

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