Design Engineering with Carbide

Hard carbide alloys, or tungsten carbides as the various compositions are more commonly identified, are of significant value as engineering materials. This well-known metalcutting material has a unique combination of physical and mechanical properties that can provide the solution to many difficult design problems. Although this paper primarily presents examples of the application of carbides in the metalworking field, it should be apparent to the reader that carbide is, in fact, an engineering material with distinct properties that should be considered for application to any product design situation. A brief summary of the range of properties of hard carbide alloys provides the reader with some insight into the design problem solving potential of this modern engineering alloy.