Carbide Grade Selection
Grade is the decision that sets how long the part lasts, and it is usually made with less information than it deserves. This page lays out the grades produced here with their published data, and the reasoning that picks between them.
What Happens At Each Stage
Each stage lists the thing that usually goes wrong and what we do about it.
Identify the Failure Mode
Problem. Parts are often replaced with a harder grade when the actual failure was chipping, which a harder grade makes worse.
Abrasive wear, impact chipping and chemical attack each point at a different cobalt range, so the failed part is the best starting evidence.
Set the Cobalt Range
Problem. Hardness and toughness pull in opposite directions and cannot both be maximised.
6 percent cobalt grades give the highest wear resistance; 15 percent cobalt grades absorb shock. Most duties land between the two.
Check the Grain Size
Problem. Two grades with the same cobalt content can behave very differently.
YL10.2 carries 10 percent cobalt on a 0.6 to 0.8 micron grain and reaches 92.2 HRA with TRS above 4000 MPa, while YG10 at the same cobalt but 1.2 to 2.0 micron grain sits at 85.5 HRA and 2600 MPa.
Match the ISO Code
Problem. A drawing written to an ISO application code does not name a Chinese grade.
YL10.2 corresponds to K30, YG6 and YG6X to K10, YG8 and YG10 to K20, so an ISO-coded drawing can be mapped directly.
Confirm With a Sample
Problem. Published data describes the material, not the application.
A sample in the chosen grade is run in the real duty before the bulk order is released.
The Production Route Behind It
Weighing In of Ingredients
Tungsten carbide powder and cobalt binder weighed to the grade formula.
Milling
Powders wet milled so the binder is evenly distributed through the mix.
Spray Drying
The slurry is spray dried into free-flowing granules that press consistently.
Testing
Granulate checked before it is committed to a press run.
Forming
Blanks pressed on imported presses from the mould for that part.
Sintering
Sintered at around 1450 degrees C in an over-pressure furnace to close porosity.
Machining
Ground and finished to the dimensions on the drawing.
Quality Control
Physical properties, shape and tolerance checked, then inspection photographs sent before delivery.
Product Families This Applies To
Solid Carbide End Mills
Solid carbide end mills produced from raw carbide rods, designed for high-speed milling with…
Tungsten Carbide Bushes and Sleeves
Pressed and sintered carbide bushes, shaft sleeves, valve cores and valve seats made to your…
Tungsten Carbide Rods
Pressed and sintered tungsten carbide rods made to your drawing or standard size for use in…
Tungsten Carbide Nozzles
Pressed and sintered tungsten carbide nozzles made to drawing for high-wear, high-temperature,…
Ball Mill Grinding Media and Jars
Pressed and sintered tungsten carbide grinding media and jars for ball mills, made to YG8…
Tungsten Carbide Rings
Pressed and sintered tungsten carbide rings for mechanical seals, available in flat (PH) and…
Carbide Grade Selection FAQ
Which grade lasts longest in abrasive wear?
Lower cobalt grades. YG6 at 6 percent cobalt reaches at least 90.0 HRA with a density of 14.85 to 15.05 g/cm3 and is the usual choice where the load is abrasive rather than impact.
Which grade should I use where the part sees impact?
A higher cobalt grade. YG15 at 15 percent cobalt gives TRS of at least 2800 MPa against 2150 MPa for YG6, at the cost of hardness.
What makes YL10.2 different from the YG grades?
Its 0.6 to 0.8 micron grain. That fine structure is what takes it to 92.2 HRA and TRS above 4000 MPa, which is why it is used for solid carbide cutting tools.
Can you supply a grade not on this list?
YG6X, YG8X, YG12, YG15X, YN6 and YN9 are also produced. Describe the duty and the closest available grade will be recommended.
Do you publish test certificates for each grade?
Not published on the source material. request the current material data with your enquiry.
Other Ways To Work With Us
Custom Carbide Parts to Drawing
Most enquiries here start with a drawing and a part that is wearing out too fast. This route covers…
OEM and ODM Carbide Supply
Equipment builders and distributors who resell carbide parts need the part to arrive the same way…
Replacing Worn Steel Parts With Carbide
Switching a part from steel or a hardfaced coating to solid carbide is a change worth making only when…
Carbide Grade Selection
Send the drawing, the quantity and the service conditions. You will get a grade recommendation alongside the quotation.