Tungsten electrode market

Tungsten electrode is a component, which channels the current required to establish the arc in the process of welding. It helps to reduce exposure during welding. Tungsten electrodes are alloyed with metals such as stainless steels, and nickel. Various sizes of electrodes are used for the different types of materials and welds. Tungsten electrodes perform better with the alternating current (AC) as opposed to direct current (DC). There are several types of tungsten electrode such as pure tungsten, thoriated tungsten, and cerium tungsten used for TIG welding and plasma welding.

Market Outlook

• Among application, Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding segment held a significant market share in the global tungsten electrode market in 2017. At 3.422º Celsius, tungsten electrode has the highest melting temperature amongst pure metals. As a result, the electrode is not consumed during TIG welding and it utilizes tungsten electrodes to join the metals in which electrode is shipped without ground tip. Tungsten electrode improves and maintains acceptable starting and arc stability while decreasing burn-off in Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding. These factors are expected to drive growth of the segment over the forecast period.
• North America held a dominant position in the global tungsten electrode market in 2017 and it is expected to retain its dominance during the forecast period. This is owing to the presence of key players include Diamond Ground Products, Astaras, Inc. in the region. Moreover, key players are focused on development of new tungsten electrodes to expand their share in the market. For instance, Astaras, Inc. provides tungsten electrodes for application of MIG and TIG welding in North America. The company also offers new tungsten electrodes such as E3 tungsten electrode in the region. The E3 Tungsten has 1.5% lanthanum oxide instead of 2.0% of thorium oxide and offers stable tip geometry with less erosion and improves Arc starting. Every E3 electrode is tested for structural defects by using an eddy current test method.

Key Players

Key players operating in the global tungsten electrode market include, Diamond Ground Products, Astaras, Inc., Weldstone, Winner Tungsten Products Co. Ltd., Huntingdon Fusion Techniques, Metal Cutting, BGRIMM Advanced Materials Science & Technology Co., Ltd., Sunrain Tungsten, and ATTL Advanced Materials Co., Ltd.

Key Developments:-

• In November 2019, AMI, a brand of ESAB launched orbistar tungsten electrodes for enhanced orbital tig equipment performance. The product is was manufactured by collaborating with Wolfram Industrie which is a manufacturer of premium tungstens and molybdenum materials. The product facilitates the superior arc stability and arc starting performance due to its purity, controlled grain size & manufacturing process and others.
• In October 2016, Huntingdon Fusion Techniques developed the Multistrike Tungsten Electrodes which increases the efficiency and reduce the risk to health during the welding process. The product contains the mixture of non-radioactive rare earth elements which lower down the working temperature of tungsten electrode. It can be used for welding aluminum with the AC process and steel & alloys with DC process.
• In April 2014, Astara Inc. acquired the Anviloy business segment from CMW International Inc. The acquisition aimed to expand the business of Astara Inc. into tungsten. The business segment includes E3 tungsten electrodes, Anviloy materials and Anviloy specialty welding rods for repair tool steel.

Market Taxonomy

On the basis of product type the global tungsten electrode market is segmented into:

• Pure Tungsten
• Thoriated Tungsten
• Lanthanum Tungsten
• Cerium Tungsten
• Others (Yttrium Tungsten, Zirconiated Tungsten, and others)

On the basis of application, the global tungsten electrode market is segmented into:

• TIG Welding
• Plasma Welding
• Thermal Spray
• Cutting

On the basis of region, the global tungsten electrode market is segmented into:

• North America
  • U.S.
  • Canada
• Europe
  • U.K.
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • France
  • Russia
  • Spain
  • Rest of Europe
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • India
  • Japan
  • ASEAN
  • Australia
  • South Korea
  • Rest of Asia Pacific
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
  • Argentina
  • Rest of Latin America
• Middle East
  • GCC
  • Israel
  • Rest of Middle East
• Africa
  • Northern Africa
  • Central Africa
  • South Africa