Sweden's Sandvik launches ReCarbide drill bits with 75% recycled tungsten carbide

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Sandvik (STO: SAND) has launched the ReCarbide brand, increasing the share of recycled tungsten carbide in its rock drilling bits to 75%. The company's existing PowerCarbide series contains 50% recycled tungsten carbide, and the new brand's recycled content exceeds this level.

Tungsten carbide is a critical material in drill bit manufacturing. Both Sandvik's ReCarbide and PowerCarbide series use recycled drill bits as part of their tungsten carbide source, thereby reducing dependence on mined tungsten ore.

Sandvik states that ReCarbide is currently being rolled out and is expected to become the standard for all Sandvik drill bits containing tungsten carbide in 2026 and 2027.

Magnus Selling, Sustainability Manager at Sandvik Rock Tools, said that increasing the proportion of recycled material in tungsten carbide while maintaining the drill bit performance customers expect has been a long-term focus for Sandvik. With ReCarbide, the carbon footprint and virgin raw material usage of drill bits are reduced, while quality remains at the original level.

Sandvik also stated that ReCarbide has completed field drilling tests across multiple scenarios, including top hammer drilling, down-the-hole drilling, and rotary drilling. Its performance and durability remained consistent during testing, with improved results in some scenarios.

Rickard Andreasson, Vice President of Product Line Service at Sandvik, believes that the more recyclable material that can be put back into production, the stronger the supply resilience. This helps Sandvik maintain reliable supply to customers and enables fuller utilization of materials already in circulation.

Since 2023, Sandvik has offered a tungsten carbide recycling program alongside rock drilling tool purchases. Currently, tungsten carbide extraction units are operating on every continent and in major mining centers.