What a grade actually is
Tungsten carbide grains bonded in a cobalt matrix. Finer grains and less binder mean harder and more wear-resistant; coarser grains and more binder mean tougher.
Grain size and binder content
Submicron and fine grains raise hardness and wear resistance at the cost of toughness. Coarser grains tolerate impact better and wear faster. Binder content moves the same trade-off in the same direction: more cobalt means more toughness and less hardness.
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Hardness, density and porosity
Hardness and density are the two measurements a buyer can verify cheaply, and both are sensitive to porosity and to the accuracy of the powder blend. A grade specification that names them makes goods-in inspection possible without a laboratory.
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Writing a grade specification
Name grain size, binder content, hardness range and the test method. Avoid trade names, which lock the specification to one supplier.
Properties instead of names
A specification written around measurable properties can be bid by several suppliers and verified on delivery. A specification written around a trade name can do neither, and it makes a second source impossible without a re-qualification.
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Matching grade to the application
Abrasive surfaces want hardness; obstacle-heavy routes want toughness. Ice and road-planing tooling often wants a different grade again. The correct grade is a function of the failure mode, not of a general preference for harder or tougher.
Carbide grade questions
What makes one carbide grade harder than another?
Finer grain size and lower cobalt binder content. Both increase hardness and wear resistance, and both reduce toughness.
Is a harder grade always better?
No. Harder grades resist abrasion and crack more readily under impact. The right grade follows from the failure mode the part actually experiences.
How do I verify a grade on delivery?
Hardness and density measurements are cheap and sensitive to grade and porosity. Naming them in the specification makes verification possible at goods-in.
Why should I avoid trade names in a specification?
They make the requirement single-source, which blocks competitive bidding and makes a second supplier impossible without re-qualifying the part.
Does binder content affect corrosion?
Yes. The cobalt matrix is the part that corrodes, so higher binder content generally means more corrosion exposure in salt and moisture.
Manufacturing process
How grade properties are produced.
Quality control and testing
Verifying grade and porosity per batch.
Insert types and geometry
Matching grade to geometry and duty.
Sourcing and supply chain
Origin, tariffs and material sourcing.
Ask about a grade for your application
Tell us the failure mode and the operating conditions and we will recommend a grade specification you can put out to bid.
✓ Application and duty
✓ Current failure mode
✓ Operating temperature and surface
✓ Volume and delivery destination
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