Tungsten carbide is a chemical compound of equal amounts of tungsten and carbon atoms. When it is in powder form, it is a gray color. One of the characteristics of tungsten carbide is it has a very high Mohs hardness level.
Coatings made with tungsten carbide are used for components that need to be resistant to wear, abrasion, galling, fretting, erosion, and corrosion.
Tungsten carbide is almost twice as hard as steel, and this coating is recommended where abrasion protection and wear resistance is the primary consideration.
The coating has a very high bond strength and will adhere strongly to many materials. The engineers at Western Machine Works can help you determine the proper composition for your application.
Thermal Spray Process for Tungsten Carbide Coatings
Tungsten Carbide coatings can be applied using a D-Gun (detonation gun) or HVOF. Western Machine Works uses the flame spray process with a d-gun. In this process, a controlled spark ignites the acetylene gas with the tungsten carbide powder shooting down a barrel and landing on the workpiece material. As more particles in the d-gun are dispersed, the coating builds up at a rapid pace.
Tungsten carbide is generally mixed with a binder element (like cobalt, nickel, or chromium), as tungsten carbide by itself melts at extremely high temperatures. By adjusting the size of the particles and the percentage of metallic binder in the coating, the properties of the coating are changed. There are different compositions that have different macrohardness, bonding strength, as-sprayed roughness, resistance to erosion and residual stress, and maximum service temperature.
The use of carbide coating in the thermal spray process leads to a strong bond strength with options for varying thickness and roughness depending on applications and customer specifications.
Advantages of Tungsten Carbide Coatings
- Less than 1% Porosity
- High resistance to wear
- Hardness Exceeding Rc70
- Corrosion-resistant
- Bonding Strength Average of 8,500psi
- Can be finished down to 6 Ra
Applications for Tungsten Carbide Coatings
- Aerospace
- Turbine shafts, rotors, and components
- Oil wells and deep-sea drilling
- Paper mills
- Galvanizing rolls
- High wear components
- Machining tools
- Corrugated rolls
- Process rolls
- Impellers
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Tungsten Carbide Coatings Are Known For:
- Strong Adhesion
- Corrosion Resistance
- Resistance to Wear at High Temperatures
- Smooth Coatings
- Coating Density
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