Almonty Korea Tungsten Corp.’s (AKTC) processing plant for tungsten ore excavated from the Sangdong mine in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province / Courtesy of AKTC
The Sangdong mine in Yeongwol County, Gangwon Province, is rising as a strategic asset in efforts to construct a non-Chinese language tungsten provide chain for the semiconductor trade. Operated by Almonty Korea Tungsten Corp. (AKTC), the mine is without doubt one of the world’s largest tungsten deposits and has superior by improvement to grow to be absolutely production-ready.
AKTC President and CEO Lewis Black delivers a welcome speech throughout the Sangdong mine completion ceremony in Yeongwol County, Gangwon Province, March 17. Courtesy of AKTC
The Sangdong mine is anticipated to provide tungsten focus and help the manufacturing of higher-value supplies similar to high-purity tungsten oxide. AKTC stated the mine may strengthen Korea’s home critical-mineral safety whereas offering an alternate supply for international semiconductor and advanced-manufacturing industries that stay closely depending on China.
The mine improvement challenge has gained significance as issues over international tungsten hexafluoride (WF6) provides intensify. WF6 is a specialty gasoline utilized in semiconductor metallization, together with tungsten deposition processes required for 3D NAND, DRAM and high-bandwidth reminiscence. Rising demand from AI servers and knowledge facilities is rising demand, whereas the qualification of other suppliers can take 18 to 24 months.
The quick problem isn’t restricted to WF6 manufacturing. WF6 producers require high-purity tungsten feedstock, and China’s export controls have made that materials more and more troublesome to acquire. China added a number of tungsten-related merchandise to its export-control framework in 2025, together with ammonium paratungstate (APT), tungsten oxide and sure tungsten merchandise.
Based on Chinese language customs knowledge reported by Fastmarkets, Chinese language exports of high-purity tungsten powder to Japan ceased totally for 3 consecutive months between February and April.
The ensuing strain has unfold throughout the tungsten worth chain. China’s Normal Administration of Customs stated the typical export worth of WF6 exceeded 950,000 renminbi ($140,935) per ton throughout the first 5 months of this 12 months, whereas the value of digital grade WF6 rose to 2.5 million renminbi per ton by the tip of June.
AKTC cited Persistence Market Analysis in forecasting that the worldwide specialty digital gases market will develop from $5.1 billion in 2025 to $6.9 billion by 2032. AKTC added that 69 p.c of whole demand will likely be concentrated within the Asia-Pacific area, together with China, Taiwan and Korea, the place the world’s semiconductor manufacturing capability is concentrated.
Semi-autogenous mills grind crushed tungsten ore at AKTC’s processing plant in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, on this undated photograph. Courtesy of AKTC
The scenario has highlighted the structural focus of the worldwide market. Japan’s Kanto Denka Kogyo and Central Glass have traditionally accounted for roughly one-quarter of worldwide WF6 manufacturing and provided main prospects, together with Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and TSMC. These two Japanese firms warned of manufacturing dangers after difficulties securing Chinese language tungsten powder.
Nevertheless, the businesses subsequently indicated that manufacturing would proceed. Central Glass introduced in June that it had secured the uncooked supplies wanted to fulfill buyer orders, whereas Kanto Denka’s monetary briefing in Could indicated persevering with WF6 exercise and stronger specialty-gas gross sales. These developments could ease quick provide issues, however they don’t resolve the underlying dependence on Chinese language tungsten feedstock.
WF6 is troublesome to interchange within the brief time period as a result of semiconductor producers should full customer-specific qualification procedures earlier than adopting various suppliers. New WF6 services and qualification packages typically require 18 to 24 months to arrange, leaving restricted capability to soak up a protracted disruption.
AKTC is positioning the Sangdong mine as the inspiration for a extra diversified tungsten community. Korean chipmakers have moved to diversify procurement by home and abroad sources, however the market nonetheless lacks adequate high-purity non-Chinese language feedstock. AKTC Chairman and CEO Lewis Black stated AKTC is at present in discussions with the entire main tungsten customers in Korea, reflecting a joint effort between AKTC and Korean trade to develop a dependable home tungsten provide chain.
The corporate’s tungsten oxide plant in Yeongwol, scheduled for completion in 2028, is meant to course of focus from the Sangdong mine into APT after which tungsten oxide. The corporate stated the challenge may assist Korea seize larger worth and supply feedstock for downstream tungsten-metal and WF6 manufacturing.
Producing WF6 from tungsten focus requires 4 phases. The focus is first chemically processed and purified to supply APT. APT is then thermally decomposed and calcined to supply tungsten oxide, primarily tungsten trioxide. Excessive-purity tungsten oxide is then decreased in a hydrogen ambiance to supply metallic tungsten powder. The tungsten powder then reacts with fluorine gasoline to kind WF6, which is subsequently purified right into a semiconductor-grade, ultra-high-purity specialty gasoline.
