CTD manufactures all types of cemented carbide wear parts to size. The possibilities are almost limitless.

What is cemented carbide?

Although cemented carbide already exists for more than a 100 years, the material is still not well enoughy known. The exceptional properties of cemented carbide make it particularly suitable for many wear applications.
Cemented carbide also called tungsten carbide or just carbide, consists of exceptionally hard tungsten carbide particles in a ductile metallic binder mostly Cobalt (Co) or Nickel (Ni). This hybrid structure gives cemented carbide its unique feature of combining extremely high hardness with very high compressive strength and good toughness. Other properties of cemented carbide are a high hot hardness and good corrosion resistance.
By varying the carbide grain size and the metal binder composition and content, cemented carbide can be fine tuned in order to obtain optimized properties like :

  • Wear resistance
  • Corrosion resistance
  • Edge stability
  • Resistance against galling
  • Impact resistance

Cemented carbide is a material that is produced by powder metallurgy starting from carbide particles and metal powder. The production process and the purity of the powders are decisive for the final quality of the finished part. Therefore it is very important to make to correct choice of cemented carbide for each application.

CTD will use its year-long experience in carbide properties and applications to advice you in the right choice for your application.

Properties of cemented carbide

  • Hardness: up to 2200 HV30 (tool steel
  • Compressive strength: up to 8500 MPa (higher than any steel)
  • Transverse Rupture Strength: up to 4600 MPa (force needed to break carbide in three-point bending test)
  • Corrosion resistance: very high when the correct binder metal is chosen

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Examples of cemented carbide applications

1. Abrasive wear

Because of the very high hardness and corrosion resistance, carbide has an exceptional resistance against dry and wet abrasion resistance.
Some applications are:

  • seats for ball, gate and trim valves
  • pump plungers and mechanical seal rings
  • oil and gas drilling tools, wear parts for tunnel boring
  • waste water and solid waste treatment

2. Cutting

The compressive strength and toughness makes cemented carbide the preferred material to cut all types of material.

Applications:

  • Wood chipping
  • Knives for metal scrap
  • Dies for expanded metal, punches for perforated metal
  • Guillotine shears
  • Rotary knives, slitter knives

3. Bending, rolling, extrusion

The high hardness of the carbide grains increases the galling resistance.

Applications:

  • Cold and hot rolling rols for wire
  • Tools for bending and forming presses
  • Aluminium extrusion dies

4. Shredding, grinding and mixing

Cemented carbide is exceptionally suitable for shredding, grinding and mixing of different materials.

  • Shredders for metal, plastic, wood, paper, cardboard, cellulose, …
  • Hammer mills
  • Wet and dry grinding mills
  • Impact mills for metal and mineral powders