Amermin tungsten carbide reclamation grant boosts US recycled carbide output

Amermin

Amermin tungsten carbide reclamation grant will scale reclaimed hardmetal production in Texas. The Amermin tungsten carbide reclamation grant totals $11.5mn through a DOE award routed via Melt Technologies. As a result, Amermin plans to expand its Briggs facility around tungsten carbide processing.

The expansion targets up to a 300pc increase in tungsten carbide output. Amermin says it produces virgin-quality tungsten carbide powder from recycled feedstock. Meanwhile, the company also recycles copper, nickel, cobalt, and lithium.

What the DOE award changes for tungsten carbide recycling

The DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management supports faster capacity buildout at Briggs. The funding arrived through Amermin’s partner Melt Technologies and focuses on carbide reclamation. Therefore, the site can move from pilot-scale learning to higher-volume conversion.

Melt previously secured $11.5mn, including $5.7mn from DOE, for the pilot facility. That pilot design aimed to process more than 60,000lbs per month of tungsten carbide waste. However, the new scale-up phase should improve throughput, reliability, and powder consistency.

Why reclaimed tungsten matters for industry supply chains

Recycled tungsten carbide supports cutting tools, drilling, and precision machining with lower raw material exposure. Domestic reclamation shortens lead times for manufacturers and reduces logistics risk. Meanwhile, consistent powder quality matters for tool performance and downstream certification.

Amermin tungsten carbide reclamation grant also signals stronger policy backing for circular critical minerals. Capacity growth can pull more scrap into formal channels and stabilize input streams. Therefore, recyclers that secure feedstock contracts will capture the next wave of demand.

The Metalnomist Commentary

This funding favors pragmatic capacity expansion over greenfield mining timelines. However, the winner will be the operator that locks in scrap supply at predictable quality. If Amermin scales smoothly, recycled carbide can become a strategic buffer for US manufacturing.