All the Applications of Tungsten Carbide

Have you ever wondered what is at the tip of large drills and earthmoving vehicles. Since simply using metallic body of the machinery may result in wear, Tungsten Carbides are used as attachments at the tip to allow for less wear on the machine itself. A tip is easier to replace while a down the hole drilling unit is not. So, Tungsten Carbides in the form of small button inserts or large attachments are used in the mining industry.

Similar to mining and drilling industry, the manufacturing industry also employs Tungsten Carbides to cut, drill, shape and produce. Drills bits used by a handyman, to some of the screwdrivers used by a normal-Joe, Tungsten tips can be found in all of those. Instead of a sharp-edged steel, a tungsten carbide will take a lot of wear to dull and also be inefficient, so, use in cutting tools is a no-brainer.

People living in areas that sees snow few months a year know the difficulty of driving on snow, much less the ice. When the temperature gets below 5 degrees everyone is changing out their tires for ones with spikes on the outside. The spikes in more and more cases are being made of Tungsten Carbides. Since you are going to destroy the tire with the spikes, a high wear resistance material is always preferable. But not just in vehicle tires, snowmobiles, skiing poles, hiking and trekking poles, sometimes even the horseshoes consist of Tungsten Carbide.

One of the industries that has stepped up the use of Tungsten Carbide is the Aerospace Industry. Planes and jets are flying at higher and higher altitudes, while this is done to decrease the air resistance and increase fuel efficiency, the temperature outside at 35,000 feet is more than negative 50-degree Celsius. As we have discussed above, the temperature resistance of Tungsten Carbide is extremely high. So, flying on high or low altitude, the wear resistance come in handy when it comes to the expensive aerospace parts.

Away from passenger airlines, rockets use Tungsten Carbides at the engine nozzles where the temperature climbs to extremely heat in seconds when taking off. The boiling point 6,000 degree Celsius for Tungsten Carbides, and it comes in handy to have such heat resistance material when taking off to space.

A growing and lucrative market of tungsten carbide has been the jewelry industry. While not fashioned into elaborate necklaces, the material is used to make rings. The chemical composition of Tungsten Carbide allows it to glow when properly manufactured and polished, with its luster not diming with time and the rings itself begin far less ductile than say gold, it can for a beauty jewelry.

Tungsten Carbides are dense and close to hardness alongside diamonds, so they are used to make armor piercing rounds. The rounds are highly regulated and illegal to use without authorization, still, the weaponry manufacturing industry provides this as a solution to militaries and militarized police. Drones are also using Tungsten Carbides in the propellers to reduce the effect of winds on the longevity of the part.

More and more industries and integrating Tungsten Carbides within their manufacturing structures. From bushings in pumps to balls on the tip of ball point pens, you may be using something with Tungsten Carbide and no idea about it. Consumer electronics is also coming into play with appliances using the material to make it sturdy. Lighting fixtures and even surgery rooms are employing the use of Tungsten Carbides.