More about Carbide

Click here to find Carbide Manufacturers | Discuss Carbide & Other Topics

Although the term carbide refers to a variety of chemical structures, in industry it is most often used to describe alloys incorporating carbon that are employed for various cutting applications. In metal cutting, the most commonly used carbides are tungsten and titanium carbide. Cobalt is often used as a binding material.

Carbide tools have distinct advantages over other tooling solutions, and enable increased cutting speeds and exceptional tolerances. Among their advantages are added stability, lower friction ratings and better hardness. However, carbide tools are also more brittle than many other cutting tools and are therefore prone to chipping when their edge is too sharp. Additionally, they tend to operate best at higher cutting speeds, and exceptionally low speeds can damage the cutting edge.

Carbide tools, also known as sintered carbide tools, are produced using powdered metallurgical (P/M) techniques. In the sintering process, a fine powdered tungsten carbide mixture that has been pressed into the necessary shape is heated to a temperature below the melting point but high enough for the particles to bond with one another. The temperature is maintained for a sufficient time and then the part is cooled. P/M injection molding is also used to produce carbide tools. It also uses a fine powder base, except that the heated material is forced into a mold cavity under high pressures rather than pressed into shape. Components produced by P/M injection molding are also sintered after ejection from the mold; however, the process enables manufacturers to produce a wide range of complex and intricate parts not otherwise possible.

Among the tools made from sintered carbides are drill tips, knives, saw blades and stamping blades. Carbides are also used in the manufacture of bushings, dies, valves, rods, blanks and rings. Alternatively, certain tools may be coated with carbides rather than manufactured from them. Carbide coatings can drastically improve tool life and wear resistance, as well as cutting speeds.