Is Tungsten Carbide Ring Magnetic?

When purchasing or using tungsten carbide rings, many customers will ask a question: are tungsten carbide rings magnetic? This is especially important in some application scenarios that are sensitive to magnetic fields (e.g. medical devices, electronic equipment, jewelry, etc.).

What Is Tungsten Carbide Made Of?

Tungsten Carbide (WC) is not a single element, but a compound metal-ceramic material synthesized from tungsten (W) and carbon (C), often with a small amount of binder metal added to enhance its mechanical properties and to facilitate processing and molding.

The composition of a standard tungsten carbide material is as follows:

Tungsten (W): The main material, with high density and hardness, but non-magnetic itself.

Carbon (C): Combines with tungsten to form carbides, which improve overall strength and wear resistance.

Bonding metal (e.g. cobalt Co or nickel Ni): Used to join particles and increase toughness and crack resistance.

What Causes Some Tungsten Rings to be Slightly Magnetic?

In industrial manufacturing, cobalt (Co) is commonly added to tungsten carbide as a binder in order to improve the overall toughness and machinability of the carbide. Cobalt is a weakly magnetic metal, and although it does not make up a large percentage of the alloy (typically 6% to 12%), it may still cause the material to exhibit a slight magnetic response. Therefore, different bonding types are recommended in different industries.

Electronics/Semiconductor industry: Nickel-bonded tungsten carbide is recommended to avoid magnetic interference.

Medical industry (e.g. MRI-compatible equipment): Cobalt-containing tungsten carbide should be avoided; customized non-magnetic alloy formulations are available.

Mechanical/mold field: magnetic influence is minimal and does not affect service life or performance.

For specific choices, you can consult Jinxin's experts to help you come up with a suitable customized solution.