There are a lot of metal compounds out there that see heavy use across the globe, but none have the particular attributes of tungsten carbide. This marriage of the element carbon and tungsten yields an alloy that is extremely tough, hard, and resistant to heat, rust, pitting, scratches, and abrasion. Tungsten carbide also offers incredible conductivity and is twice as dense as titanium and three times as strong as steel.
Because of these impressive properties, tungsten carbide is heavily used in mining and construction as well as metalworking industries. It’s particularly useful in the production of cutting and drilling tools because it’s incredibly abrasion-resistant, has a hardness that rivals diamonds, and can tolerate high temperatures. The compound is also resistant to acids and boasts a lower thermal expansion rate than steel, making it stable over time.
It’s worth noting that tungsten carbide is a cemented metal, meaning that its physical and metallurgical properties are derived from the aggregate of individual tungsten carbide grains imbedded within a ductile binder material (like cobalt or nickel). This means that a specific grade of the product will have different characteristics depending on how the grain size is controlled after sintering, the amount of binder material, and the quality of the raw materials and workmanship with which it’s made.
Besides its industrial applications, tungsten carbide is also popular in the jewelry industry as it can be molded into all sorts of shapes and sharpened with precision. It’s an excellent alternative to gold and silver jewelry because of its affordability, durability, and stunning aesthetic.
