All you Need to Know about Cemented Carbide (Tungsten)
First of, we cannot start talking about cemented carbide if you don’t even know what it is or what it is used for. So, let’s start by answering those simple but important questions first. The Cemented carbide is an extremally hard material that is used to create various cutting tools for big machines, also it has some other industrial use but it is mainly for cutting tools. As an aggregate, cemented carbides usually use tungsten carbide.
Why do People Use Carbide cutters?
The reason why people usually use a carbide cutter is because after cutting a material, it will leave a much smoother surface finish which will later on speed up the whole process. The tools that are made out of cemented (tungsten) carbide can withstand a lot higher temperatures than any other tool that is made out of different metal. That is because tungsten is the metal with the highest melting point and it can withstand very high temperatures. Due to this great durability, every process that is done with a carbide tool will be done much faster. There are not many materials that are better than cemented carbide for cutting hard materials like carbon or stainless steel. Not only you can cut such hard materials with cemented carbide but it will wear away much slower than any other.
Applications
Inserts for Metal Cutting. Carbide is more expensive than your usual tool materials in your workshop. Because it is not cheap, it is not worth making the whole tool out of it. Some metal cutting tools have replaceable tips that can be replaced if one broke off or you wear it out. You will never have to pay for the whole cutting piece again, you just need to buy those replaceable tips.
Inserts for Mining Tools. The tools that miners use in mines have to be very durable and strong in order to not break after 10 minutes of use. To have that kind of durable tools they have fitted their tools with cemented carbide tips that can withstand the mining.
Industrial applications. There are a lot of different applications for the cemented carbide that industrial companies use it for. They have created a lot of specially designed tools for themselves from this hard material. One interesting use that this metal has is in the bearings, more precise ball bearings. Those tiny balls are made out of this metal because they have to be extremally hard and not to lose their shape over time. if those balls were made out of some softer material they would have to be replaced very regularly because they would get flatted out.