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Wah Chang Corporation
Wah Chang Corporation was an American manufacturing company in the metal or alloy industry based in Albany, Oregon in the United States. Since 2014, it has been a business unit of Allegheny Technologies and makes corrosion-resistant metals, such as hafnium, niobium, titanium, vanadium, and zirconium.
In 1916 (some sources say 1914), Chinese American mining engineer Kuo-Ching "KC" Li Sr. founded the company in New York state, under the name Wah Chang Trading Corporation. Wah Chang is Cantonese for "fortunate enterprise" or "great development". This expanded as an international tungsten ore and concentrate trading company.
In 1946, the company built a plant in Union City, New Jersey.
In the 1950s, it was also operating tungsten mines in Calento, Nevada, and near Bishop, California.
In 1955, Kuo-Ching Li Sr., Founder of the Wah Chang Trading Corporation, New York, sent his top engineer, Stephen W. H. Yih to the US Bureau of Mines Titanium Development Plant in Boulder City NV to learn how to make the metal. This is where he met Wing Muin Mark, who was directing operations at the Titanium Development Plant. Within one year, Mark and Yih collaborated to produce the highest purity titanium in the world.
In 1956, the Energy Commission (AEC) contracted with Wah Chang to reopen the U.S. Bureau of Mines zirconium plant in Millersburg, near Albany, Oregon, to develop high-purity zirconium for use in the United States Navy's nuclear program. After Wah Chang was granted an additional two-year contract, it decided to build its own zirconium production facility. The facility also produced hafnium metal sponge, and had pilot projects for tantalum and niobium production.
Wah Chang was privately owned by K.C. Li until 1967, when it was acquired by Teledyne, the main Albany plant (located in the then-unincorporated area known as Millersburg) becoming a subsidiary named Teledyne Wah Chang Albany, or TWCA. In 1966, Wah Chang had around 1,200 employees, in plants in Albany, Oregon; Glen Cove, New York; Huntsville, Alabama; and Texas City, Texas, and sales of $40.7 million. The Albany plant was by far the largest, and at the time of its sale to Teledyne, it accounted for around $20 million in annual revenue, with 860 employees at that location. The Alabama factory became a separate subsidiary named Teledyne Wah Chang Huntsville.
In the early 1970s, Wing Mark proposed the idea of making high-purity Hafnium Crystal Bar to Teledyne Wah Chang Albany. He went on to design the production plant, equipment, and process which produced a 99.99999% Hafnium purity, earning him the nickname, “Mr. Hafnium.”
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Wah Chang Corporation
Wah Chang Corporation was an American manufacturing company in the metal or alloy industry based in Albany, Oregon in the United States. Since 2014, it has been a business unit of Allegheny Technologies and makes corrosion-resistant metals, such as hafnium, niobium, titanium, vanadium, and zirconium.
In 1916 (some sources say 1914), Chinese American mining engineer Kuo-Ching "KC" Li Sr. founded the company in New York state, under the name Wah Chang Trading Corporation. Wah Chang is Cantonese for "fortunate enterprise" or "great development". This expanded as an international tungsten ore and concentrate trading company.
In 1946, the company built a plant in Union City, New Jersey.
In the 1950s, it was also operating tungsten mines in Calento, Nevada, and near Bishop, California.
In 1955, Kuo-Ching Li Sr., Founder of the Wah Chang Trading Corporation, New York, sent his top engineer, Stephen W. H. Yih to the US Bureau of Mines Titanium Development Plant in Boulder City NV to learn how to make the metal. This is where he met Wing Muin Mark, who was directing operations at the Titanium Development Plant. Within one year, Mark and Yih collaborated to produce the highest purity titanium in the world.
In 1956, the Energy Commission (AEC) contracted with Wah Chang to reopen the U.S. Bureau of Mines zirconium plant in Millersburg, near Albany, Oregon, to develop high-purity zirconium for use in the United States Navy's nuclear program. After Wah Chang was granted an additional two-year contract, it decided to build its own zirconium production facility. The facility also produced hafnium metal sponge, and had pilot projects for tantalum and niobium production.
Wah Chang was privately owned by K.C. Li until 1967, when it was acquired by Teledyne, the main Albany plant (located in the then-unincorporated area known as Millersburg) becoming a subsidiary named Teledyne Wah Chang Albany, or TWCA. In 1966, Wah Chang had around 1,200 employees, in plants in Albany, Oregon; Glen Cove, New York; Huntsville, Alabama; and Texas City, Texas, and sales of $40.7 million. The Albany plant was by far the largest, and at the time of its sale to Teledyne, it accounted for around $20 million in annual revenue, with 860 employees at that location. The Alabama factory became a separate subsidiary named Teledyne Wah Chang Huntsville.
In the early 1970s, Wing Mark proposed the idea of making high-purity Hafnium Crystal Bar to Teledyne Wah Chang Albany. He went on to design the production plant, equipment, and process which produced a 99.99999% Hafnium purity, earning him the nickname, “Mr. Hafnium.”