Tungsten Carbide

Tungsten Carbide Properties and Appearance

Tungsten Carbide is made of equal parts tungsten and carbon and known for superior durability, high corrosion resistance and a high melting point (2,870 degrees C), making it a useful material for creating wear-resistant machine tool components, such as drill and cutting tools. Tungsten Carbide is a black hexagonal crystal with metallic luster and a hardness similar to diamond – this alloy is twice as stiff as steel and rates 9-9.5 on the Mohs scale. It is widely used in the manufacturing and construction industries in hard working high wear environments. It is generally resistant to acids and is only attacked by hydrofluoric acid/nitric acid mixtures above room temperature. Whilst known by its chemical symbol as WC, (W is for Wolfram the chemical name for Tungsten), it is more commonly referred to as simply carbide. It is usually supplied as a fine grey powder, which can be applied with heat, pressure or cemented.

Chemical Composition

Applications

Tungsten Carbide is used in the following applications:

• Industrial machinery – lathes, downhole hammers, tunnel boring
• Cutting tools – saws, drill and router bits
• Dies and punches
• Abrasives
• Armor-piercing ammunition
• Jewelry rings
• Sports trekking poles, horse shoeing
• Ball point pen rollers
• Surgical instruments
• Nuclear industry – as an effective neutron reflector

Formats Supplied

Vulcan Metal Group supplies tungsten carbide in rod, plate, finished parts and powder form. Vulcan Metal Group is an expert in the specification and supply of tungsten alloys for industry and the machining of tungsten alloy components with custom machined and finished parts supplied to print. Please contact us for a quote or more on how Vulcan Metal Group can help your business.