Is tungsten carbide stronger than tungsten?

From different comparison dimensions and application scenarios, the two will have different advantages. Therefore, when choosing materials, it is necessary to make comprehensive considerations based on specific application scenarios and needs.

Comparison from the perspective of hardness:

Tungsten carbide has extremely high hardness, second only to diamond, and has excellent wear resistance. This is due to its special crystal structure and chemical bonding method. In contrast, although pure tungsten also has a high hardness, it is usually not as hard as tungsten carbide.

Comparison from the perspective of strength:

Strength is the ability of a material to resist fracture. In this regard, pure tungsten usually has good toughness due to its metallic properties and can resist fracture to a certain extent. However, tungsten carbide is often accompanied by high brittleness due to its high hardness. Therefore, pure tungsten may have more advantages in situations where it needs to withstand impact or vibration.

Comparison from the perspective of wear resistance:

Tungsten carbide is widely used in situations where it needs to resist wear, such as cutting tools, mining tools, etc. due to its high hardness and good wear resistance. Although pure tungsten also has a certain wear resistance, it is usually not as good as tungsten carbide in these aspects.

Comparison of other physical properties:

Tungsten carbide has the characteristics of high thermal conductivity, low thermal expansion coefficient and good corrosion resistance, which makes it perform well in high temperature, high pressure and corrosive environment. Pure tungsten also has high thermal conductivity and good corrosion resistance, but its performance may be affected under certain conditions (such as oxidation at high temperature).

Comparison of application fields:

Due to its excellent performance, tungsten carbide is widely used in cutting tools, mining tools, abrasives and thermal spraying.Pure tungsten is mainly used in tools, electronic components, metal alloys and radiation protection materials in high temperature environment.