Kennametal invites the world to recycle carbide

“We’ve endorsed and practiced carbide recycling for a long time, but it wasn’t as systematic or efficient as it could be,” explains Pankaj Khare, senior product manager, Kennametal Inc. But the latest current carbide recycling program launched in July 2005 is straightforward and easy to use, he says, adding that it is web-enabled, so companies around the world have direct access. Customer benefits include cash back, invoice reduction, or new tooling, depending on customers’ needs. At www.kennametal.com/carbiderecycling, customers can locate the latest rates for used carbide and, after completing and submitting an online form, can print a shipping label and send the materials to Kennametal with a confirmation number. The carbide must be free of ceramics, cermets, and steel, and shipped in closed containers not to exceed 1,000 lbs. Tungsten prices rose threefold in 2005, from US85 to US260/tonne, and China accounts for around 80 per cent of annual production. Indeed, fears over security of supply led two major tungsten consumers, Osram Sylvania and Sandvik AB, to invest in reopening the Cantung Mine in Canada in 2002.