A comprehensive analysis of tungsten carbide species

Tungsten carbide overview

Tungsten carbide, or carbide alloy, stands out in modern industry for its excellent physical and chemical properties, especially its outstanding wear resistance. It is a composite material consisting mainly of tungsten carbide (WC) with the addition of appropriate amounts of cobalt or other metallic elements. Its high hardness, strong wear resistance and excellent corrosion resistance make it indispensable in many industrial applications. Especially in machining applications requiring long-term sharpness and precision, tungsten carbide shows unparalleled advantages, becoming a key material for the manufacture of high-precision, high-quality products.

Detailed introduction to tungsten carbide species

1. High-speed steel
   • Properties: High carbon content, rich in alloying elements, excellent hardness, strong wear resistance, good strength and impact toughness.
   • Application: Widely used in the manufacture of various cutting tools, cutting edge molds, such as turning knives, milling cutters, drills, boring bits, etc., greatly improving the efficiency and quality of machining.
   • Common grades: M2, M42, etc., suitable for machining difficult-to-machine materials and high-speed, heavy cutting respectively.
2. Solid alloy
   • Properties: It is made of refractory metal carbides and metal binders by powder metallurgy methods, has extremely high hardness, wear resistance and red hardness.
   • Application: Ideal material for high-precision, high-performance cutting tools and molds.
   • Classification and grades: It is divided into YG (tungsten carbide-cobalt), YT (tungsten-titanium carbide-cobalt) and YW (tungsten-titanium carbide-tantalum carbide-cobalt) types according to the carbide content, suitable for processing soft materials, medium hardness materials and wider range of applications respectively. Common grades such as YG6, YG8, etc. meet various hardness and wear resistance requirements.
3. Cobalt heat-resistant sintered aluminum alloys
   • Properties: A new type of high-temperature heat-resistant material made of pure aluminum with the addition of antioxidants, with melting point above 1670°C, maintains good thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance, high strength and resistance to deformation.
   • Application: Ideal choice for the manufacture of working components operating at high temperatures.
4. Tungsten-titanium alloys
   • Properties: Combine the high hardness of tungsten with the light weight and corrosion resistance of titanium, have excellent comprehensive properties.
   • Application: Mainly used in the manufacture of aerospace components and precision instruments.

Summary and outlook

There are many types of tungsten carbide, each with unique properties suitable for different application scenarios. When making a selection, the working conditions and workpiece material must be considered to ensure that the material properties meet the requirements. With advances in technology and industry, the properties of tungsten carbide will continue to improve and its applications will further expand, bringing more vitality and innovative capabilities to modern industry.