Tungsten Carbide Grade Chart

Tungsten Carbide Standard Grade Chart

Industry FCC Binder Content & Hardness Minimum Transverse Rupture
Hardness (Ra) Density (g/cm3) Grain Size
Code Grade Type (HV30) Strength (psi)
General Purpose Grades
C2 FC3 6% Co 92.0 1585 14.95 320,000 Fine
C1 FC4 7.5% Co 91.0 1460 14.70 330,000 Fine
Metal Forming and Wear Grades
C10 FC10 9% Co 90.0 1360 14.60 360,000 Medium
C11 FC11 12% Co 89.5 1315 14.30 390,000 Medium
C12 FC12 15% Co 88.0 1190 14.00 420,000 Medium
C13 FC13 20% Co 85.0 955 13.60 450,000 Medium
C14 FC25 25% Co 83.2 760 13.15 435,000 Medium
Submicron Grades
C3 FC3M 6% Co 93.0 1740 14.95 375,000 Submicron
C2 FC10M 10% Co 91.9 1570 14.50 450,000 Submicron
C1 FC12M 15% Co 89.5 1315 14.00 530,000 Submicron
Rotary Drilling and Mining Grades
C11 FC10C 10% Co 88.6 1240 14.50 400,000 Coarse
C12 FC11C 10% Co 87.8 1175 14.50 425,000 Coarse
Corrosion Resistant Grades
- FC3N 6% Ni 91.0 1460 14.95 275,000 Fine
- FC10N 9% Ni 89.5 1315 14.60 290,000 Fine
- FC8N 8.5% Ni 91.5 1515 14.50 300,000 Fine
 - FC82 15% Ni+Co 89.9 1355 9.00 310,000 Fine
Special grades to meet specific customer requirements are also available.

Tungsten Carbide Grade Application Guide

Tungsten Carbide Grade Application Guide

FCC
Grade Type Application Areas
Grade
General Industrywide standard for a broad range of applications where superior wear resistance and light shock resistance are required. Application
Purpose FC3 areas include fluid control components, oilfield wear discs, bushings, seats, nozzles, bearing components, and valve stems. Also used for
powder compacting dies, small dies and mandrels, and nonferrous wire and tube drawing.

A general purpose grade combining good wear resistance and moderate toughness. FC4 is appropriate for use in a wide variety of wear
FC4 applications where impact or shock are not important factors. Applications include wear tiles, wear rings and sleeves, pump liners, wear guides,
bearing components, valve stems and seats.

Metal Forming
and Wear Of higher impact strength and shock resistance than FC3 or FC4, FC10 is appropriate for metal forming dies and punches, wire drawing and
FC10
straightening dies, cupping dies, tube drawing mandrels, nozzles, wear guides, and slitter knives for foils, paper and rubber.

Possessing exceptional strength and toughness, FC11 resists chipping and breakage in demanding applications such as deep drawing, larger
FC11
tube drawing dies and mandrels, wire flattening rolls, rotary slitters, and light forming and blanking dies.

FC12 is applied where both high impact strength and resistance to deformation are required. Typical applications include mining and structural
FC12
components, medium blanking dies, tube mill rolls, large wire flattening rolls, shape dies, extrusion punches, and grippers.

Characterized by high impact strength and toughness, but relatively low wear resistance, FC13 is best applied in cold heading dies, coiling
FC13
mandrels, extrusion punches, and blanking punches and dies.
 FC25 is designed to withstand conditions of extreme shock and impact and is recommended for use in cold heading where galling is not a
FC25
problem and as cold extrusion punches, swaging dies, heavy blanking punches, and crushing hammers.

Submicron
The hardest and most wear resistant of the submicron grades, FC3M is applied where very high abrasive wear resistance and low to moderate
FC3M
toughness are required.

The most widely applied of the submicron grades. Used extensively in rotating tool blanks, FC10M possesses the wear resistance of FC3, but
FC10M
greater strength and toughness. Suitable also for metal forming dies.

FC12M combines exceptional strength and toughness with good resistance to wear. It is used to extend part life in a broad range of
FC12M
applications where chipping or breakage are potential problems.
Rotary Drilling
and Mining Designed to withstand high impact, FC10C is applied most often in mining components such as percussion bits, geophysical tips, and related
FC10C
components. FC10C is also appropriate for use in metal forming applications requiring both high impact strength and stiffness.

Tougher and more impact resistant than FC10C, FC11C is the grade of choice for compacts in rotary tricone bits and for larger percussion bits
FC11C
and geophysical tips.
Corrosion The hardest of the corrosion-resistant nickel binder grades, FC3N is recommended for use in seal rings, nozzles, bearings, and fluid control
FC3N
Resistant components operating in corrosive environments.
A nickel binder grade of high toughness, FC10N is applied where a combination of corrosion resistance and higher impact strength are
FC10N
required.
A proprietary grade designed to extend the life of wear parts in variable and highly corrosive environments. FC8N is recommended for use in
FC8N
fluid and flow control devices where corrosive wear or failure by chemical attack are significant factors.
A mixed binder grade of low density which combines good wear and corrosion characteristics with high strength, FC82 is recommended for use
FC82
as nozzles or valve seats and balls operating in corrosive environments or where the weight of the wear component must be minimized.
Corrosion Resistance of Tungsten Carbide Grades

Table 1 Resistance of Corrosion of Co and Ni Binders as a Function of pH Value

PH WC + Co Binder WC + Ni Binder
12
11 Very Good
10
9 Very Good
Good
8
7 Fair
6 Poor
5 Good
4
3 Very Poor to No Resistance Fair
2 to Corrosion
1 Poor
0

Table 2 Relative Resistance to Corrosion of Selected Carbide Grades

VG = Very Good; G = Good; F = Fair; P = Poor; VP = Very Poor

Solution Type and FC3 FC10 FC3N FC8N

Temp. Liquid Agent Concentration (%) (6% Co) (9% Co) (6% Ni) (Ni-Cr-Mo)
Acetic acid 10 G G G VG
50 G G VG VG
100 G G VG VG
Boric acid 10 G G VG VG
Acids at 50°C. Chromic acid 10 G G G G
Citric acid 10 G G VG VG
Formic acid 10 F F G G
Hydrofluoric acid 20 G G G VG
Hydrochloric acid 5 F F G F
 35 G G VG G
Nitric acid 5 P VP G G
50 VG VG VG VG
Phosphoric acid 10 P P G G
50 P VP F F
Sulfuric acid 10 P VP G G
50 G F VG G
90 G G VG G

Potassium hydroxide 10 G G VG VG
Alkalis at 50°C.
Sodium hydroxide 10 G G G VG

Ammonium chloride 10 G G G VG
Ammonium nitrate 10 F F F VG
Ammonium sulfate 10 G G G VG
Hydrogen peroxide 10 VP VP VP F
Salt Solutions at 50°C.
Potassium hydroxide 10 G G VG VG
Potassium silicate 10 VG VG VG VG
Sodium chloride 10 VG G VG VG
Sodium hydroxide 10 G G G VG

Sea water 100 G G VG VG

Water at 50°C.
Pure water 100 VG VG VG VG
Sintered silicon carbide related data

Main component 99%Al2O3 S-SiC ZrO2 Si3N4 TC

.

Density g/cm3 3.90 3.1 6 3.2 14.55

Water
% 0 0.1 0 0.1 –
Physical Property Absorption

Sinter
°C 1700 2200 1500 1800 –
Temperature

Rockwell
HV 1700 2200 1300 1400 –
Hardness

Mechanical Property Bend Strength kgf/mm2 3500 4000 9000 7000 7000

Compression
Kgf/mm2 30000 20000 20000 23000 23000
Intensity

Maximum
working °C 1500 1600 1300 1400 1400
temperature
Thermal Property
2.0*10- 2.0*10-
thermal
/°C 8.0*10-6 4.1*10-6(0-500°C) 9.5*10-6 6(0- 6(0-
expansion
500°C) 500°C)
 coefficient 0- 4.0*10- 4.0*10-
5.2*10-6(500-
1000°C 6(500- 6(500-
1000°C)
1000°C) 1000°C)

Thermal Shock
T(°C) 200 250 300 400-500 400-500
resistance

W/m.k(25°C 31 100 3 25 25
Thermal
Conductivity
300°C) 16 100 3 25 25

Resisting rate of
Volume

20°C >1012 106-108 >1010 >1011 >1011

◎.cm

100°C 1012-1013 – – >1011 >1011

300°C >1012 – – >1011 >1011

Electrical Property Insulation

Breakdown KV/mm 18 semiconductor 9 17.7 17.7
Intensity

Dielectric
Constant (1 (E) 10 – 29 7 7
MHz)

Dielectric
(tg o) 0.4*10-3 – – – –
Dissipation