Resources | Carbide (2024)

FAQs

What is carbide used for? ›

This is one of the hardest synthetic materials which are a ceramic substance. It is made up of four atoms of boron and one atom of carbon. We use it in tank armour, cutting tools, security padlocks and more. We also use it in nuclear reactors because of the chemical reaction of this compound.

Carbide ions are ions of the element carbon where the carbon atom has fewer electrons than elemental carbon, thus are carrying a net negative charge. The most common carbide ions are carbon 2-, and carbon 4-.

Tungsten carbide is extremely hard, ranking about 9 to 9.5 on the Mohs scale, and with a Vickers number of around 2600. It has a Young's modulus of approximately 530–700 GPa, a bulk modulus of 379-381 GPa, and a shear modulus of 274 GPa.

Carbide scrap metal is often found in drill bits, saw blades and other tools. If you have a workshop, there is a very good chance that some or all of the tools on your bench are made with carbide. Another place to find carbide is around a machine shop.

► Calcium Carbide can affect you when inhaled. ► Calcium Carbide can irritate the skin causing a rash, redness and burning feeling on contact.

Whether in gray powder form as raw feed supply, as scrap or as tools, tungsten carbide is one of the most valuable metals, but many machine shops have it just lying around on their shelves.

Compared with other metals, carbide is very expensive because it contains cobalt, which is severely short and has very high demand in various fields such as batteries for smartphones, or other electrical appliances.

In the structure of tungsten carbide, carbon atoms exist. However, the structure of tungsten carbide is not as strong as diamond. Although tungsten carbide is not the hardest tool material in the modern industry, its high hardness and cost efficiency win many users.

Tungsten

Tungsten, which is Swedish for "heavy stone," is the strongest metal in the world. It was identified as a new element in 1781. It is commonly used to make bullets and missiles, metal evaporation work, manufacturing of paints, creating electron and Television tubes, and making glass to metal seals.

Con: Low Toughness

If you want something with high toughness, carbide isn't likely to be your go-to material. Toughness expresses the ability to sustain shocks, suddenly applied and relieved loads, or major impacts, without breaking. Often, materials with high wear resistance have low toughness.

Is carbide sharper than steel? ›

Tungsten carbide maintains a sharp cutting edge longer than steel, produces a better finish, and can cut harder materials.

Industrial Alloys

It is popular for carbide to be used in combination with copper, silver, nickel, and iron to create new materials for multiple purposes, for example: Industrial gear making. Radiation shielding. Aeronautical industries.

However, research has revealed that the use of calcium carbide can cause serious health problems, including dizziness, frequent thirst, irritation, weakness, difficulty in swallowing, vomiting, and skin ulcers.

Pure tungsten carbide with no binder metal is completely non-magnetic. Grades with 6-15% cobalt content are weakly magnetic. Tungsten carbide with higher cobalt content (15-30%) are more noticeably magnetic. Iron or nickel binders produce less magnetic grades than cobalt.

Carbide reamers can be used on a variety of materials, including steel, aluminum, and composites. In addition to these common applications, carbide cutting tools can also be used for specialty applications such as thread milling, gear cutting, and broaching.

Due to these dangers, the use of calcium carbide for ripening fruits has been banned under the Regulation of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011.