Tungsten carbide is a material used for a number of industrial applications and it is characterised by its high strength, toughness and hardness. Its name derives from the Swedish for tung (heavy) and sten (stone) and it is mainly used in the form of cemented tungsten carbides. Cemented carbides (also known as hardmetals) are made by 'cementing' grains of tungsten carbide into a binder matrix of cobalt or/and nickel.
Tungsten carbide as a material can vary in carbide grain size (0.2 – 50 microns) and by binder contents (up to 30%), as well as by the addition of other carbides. By varying the grain size of the tungsten carbide and the binder content in the matrix, engineers have access to a class of materials whose properties can be tailored to a variety of engineering applications. This includes high-tech tools, wear parts and tools for the construction, mining and oil and gas sector.
Tungsten carbide products typically have a high resistance to wear and can be used at high temperatures, allowing tungsten carbide's combined hardness and toughness to significantly outperform its steel product equivalents.
