Standard Grade Offerings

Metals used in manufacturing applications are classified into various grades depending on their composition and other properties. Tungsten carbide grades are based on the proportions of cobalt and tungsten carbide that make them up. Each grade of tungsten carbide grade has different characteristics that make them more or less suitable for different applications.

Ultra-Met maintains an extensive inventory of high-quality tungsten carbide grades, supplied from a network of trusted suppliers. Below is a breakdown of different grades and specifications to guide your selection for your application.

All standard grades of tungsten carbide offer beneficial properties, including strength, wear resistance, and good CNC machining characteristics. Additional characteristics that may vary by grade include:

• Hardness vs. toughness. Hardness (i.e., wear resistance) and toughness (i.e., impact resistance) have an inverse relationship: as the material becomes harder, it’s less resilient to impact damage, and vice versa. Harder grades of tungsten carbide have less cobalt and a finer grain structure, giving it more wear resistance. Wear resistance makes the material better able to withstand abrasive forces. Tougher grades of tungsten carbide have more cobalt and a coarser grain structure, making them more able to withstand impact.
• Thermal stability. Good machining metals maintain a hard wear resistance, even at high temperatures. Standard grades with higher concentrations of titanium carbide or tantalum carbide have greater thermal stability for precision machining applications.
• Compressive strength. Tungsten carbide’s compressive strength outperforms most other melted, cast, or forged metals. This gives it greater resistance to deformation.
• Modulus of elasticity. This is the measure of how resistant to elastic deformation a material is. The greater the modulus of elasticity, the stiffer and more resistant it is. Cemented carbide offers a much higher modulus of elasticity than steel, meaning it’s much more rigid and resistant to deflection and deformation. As a result, manufacturers can use cemented carbide in boring bars.
• Thermal conductivity. Carbide materials can conduct heat well, which is ideal for cutting tools that need to dissipate heat buildup from cutting and friction.
• Electrical conductivity. Cemented carbide offers low electrical resistance, so manufacturers can use electrical discharge machining (EDM) techniques to shape the material during production.

Ultra-Met serves companies across multiple major industries with different standard grades of carbide materials to produce tools and parts used in many industries. In addition to manufacturing powder metallurgical parts and blanks, we also supply standard grades of powdered tungsten carbide to our customers. Its formability, relative hardness and toughness, and resistance to damage make carbides a popular choice for the following applications:

Manufacturing and Metalworking Tool Applications

• Cutting tools. Standard carbides are a durable choice for CNC and other industrial cutting tools because they hold cutting edges over many cycles and dissipate heat well. These tools are used in a variety of industries for precision manufacturing
• Abrasives. Harder carbide grades with wear and abrasion resistance can be used to create abrasive materials. Silicon carbide can be used to produce sandpaper, grinding wheels, and other abrasives for polishing and surface finishing.
• Molding and stamping. Because carbides are hard and durable, they are often used for stamping and blanking tools. Their resistance to deformation and wear resistance helps tooling maintain its initial dimensions and temperature resistance prevents deformation in hot-and cold-forming operations. This contributes to tool service life and precision of stamped, cast, and molded components.

Industry-Specific Applications

• Automotive and aerospace. Carbide materials are often used to manufacture gears and wear parts used in automotive and aerospace applications. The powder metallurgy process creates molded net-shape components for little waste and high precision. Heat treating improves part hardness and durability as well.
• Woodworking. Because carbides hold a sharp edge well without frequent sharpening or maintenance, C2 and C3 carbide grades are frequently used to manufacture wood saw blades, cutting tips, and router bits. Threaded, hex-threaded, and T-nut woodworking inserts made from tungsten carbide can also improve holding power, fight corrosion, and simplify installation in many wood-based products and projects.
• General construction. Carbides are not building materials; however, they are widely used to manufacture many tools, components, and assemblies used in construction including blades, bits, inserts, and more.

Ultra-Met provides is committed to providing high-quality carbide tools, forms, wear parts, and inserts, along with powder metal materials, for precision applications. We manufacture a comprehensive selection of stock components and we offer custom manufacturing as well.

Our team of material experts can help you select the right standard grade of carbide for your application. Because we provide ongoing access to a wide inventory of different carbide materials, we can help you harness the key advantages of different carbide solutions based on your requirements.

Choosing tungsten carbide materials has several benefits, such as:

• Temperature resistance during machining and end-use applications.
• Superior cutting tools that retain their edge and shape.
• A balance of hardness and toughness.

Companies trust Ultra-Met for high-quality toolmaker blanks, custom-molded carbide goods, press-to-size inserts, and carbide stock solutions. For over 50 years, Ultra-Met has offered customers personalized assistance and high-quality results for every manufacturing project. Find the right tungsten carbide material for your next project with support from Ultra-Met Carbide Technologies. Reach out today to learn more about our products and services, or request a quote for pricing details.

Grade Properties

TUNGSTEN CARBIDE GRADES