What is the Tungsten Carbide Process?

Tungsten carbide is an extremely hard and durable metal that's used for everything from industrial applications to men's jewelry. A combination of the extremely hard metal tungsten and carbide mixed together with another metal binding agent, tungsten carbide can a hardness of up to 9.5 on the Moh's scale (not very far below diamond, which is the hardest on the scale). Tungsten carbide is also chemically inert, and will not rust or react with other chemicals. Naturally a steel gray color and coming in a powdered form, tungsten carbide can be molded and shaped through extreme heat and pressure into a variety of shapes and forms.

Manufacturing
The process for making tungsten carbide is simple. Equal parts powdered tungsten and carbon are mixed together along with a metallic binder. The most common binders currently in use are cobalt and nickel. The mixture is compacted into a shape, and it's then heated to above the melting point of the binder. The tungsten carbide, which is powdered, is then surrounded by the molten binder. As the slurry dries, the binder holds the tungsten carbide in a matrix that's extremely hard and durable. Technically tungsten carbide that uses a bonding agent is a composite metal, but it's rarely an issue.

Nickel or Cobalt
Which metallic binder is used can have an effect on the final product. For instance, if a tungsten carbide ring is made with cobalt, then it may cause a rash on the finger of the person wearing it, or it may tarnish by coming into contact with the oils produced by a person's skin. Nickel on the other hand does neither of these things, and it creates a safer, more durable product. Unfortunately though, nickel is much more expensive. So like any product, the particular components required should be taken into account before manufacturing to be sure that the final result has all the necessary attributes.

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