Will Russia-Ukraine War Make Yttrium Tungsten Electrode (WY20) Price Increase?

Yttrium is a lanthanide metal found in most rare earth minerals, especially yttrium tantalite. It can be used as the yttrium phosphor to produce the red color on television screens and monitors and used as a superconductor and as a component of X-ray filters and superalloys. When added to tungsten as a rare earth element, it can be used as a welding electrode.

Among the non-consumable electrodes, the yttrium tungsten electrode is the most consistent, so it is often used to weld steel structures and non-ferrous alloys such as carbon steel, low alloy steel, copper, titanium, stainless steel, etc. under direct current/DC. This type of electrode arc beam is slender and has a large degree of compression, and its penetration is the largest in medium and large currents. Thanks to these characteristics, it is especially popular in the military industry and aerospace industry.

Yttrium tungsten welding electrode contains 1.8-2.2% yttrium oxide, and the electron escape work is 2.8-3.2ev. They are marked WY-20 (navy blue) according to international marking. Among the components of the WY20 electrode, there are silicon, molybdenum, manganese, sulfur, carbon, and phosphorus. When the impact hardness is 100 J/cm2, the surfacing coefficient is 9.5 h/Ah. One of the characteristics of domestic electrodes is the need for short arc processing and pre-baking. The last is done in a dedicated furnace for an hour.

For tungsten electrodes, what is the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war?

As the world's second largest tungsten resource reserve country and the third largest tungsten producer, Russia's supply of tungsten resources to foreign countries (especially to European countries) will be affected by measures such as war and economic sanctions, which will stimulate international tungsten price to rise, and corresponding products prices will also increase.

Furthermore, shipping may not only be caused by wars and regional conflicts, maritime control and inspection and other factors, roadway blockages, cargo ships and cargo flights being affected by airspace control, no-fly zones, and increased war risks. The risk of delayed delivery, or even non-delivery, at the same time, even if some shipping routes can be lined up, the goods may face the risk of loss, damage and no one to take responsibility for the goods on the way.

Considering current market conditions, if you have got the purchasing plans for tungsten electrodes, it is better to place the order as soon as possible. 

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