Tungsten Carbide VS HSS （1）

HSS (short for high-speed steel) was the standard material for metal cutting tools in the past. When tungsten carbide was created, it was considered a direct replacement for high-speed steel with good toughness, excellent wear resistance, and extremely high hardness. Cemented carbide is commonly compared to high-speed steel due to similar applications and high hardness.

Performance of tungsten carbide

Tungsten carbide is a micron-sized metal carbide powder that is difficult to melt and has high hardness. The binder is made from cobalt, molybdenum, nickel, etc. It is sintered at high temperatures and high pressures. Tungsten carbide has a higher high-temperature carbide content than high-speed steel. It has HRC 75-80 and excellent wear resistance.

Advantages of tungsten carbide

1. The red hardness of tungsten carbide can reach 800-1000°C.

2. The cutting speed of carbide is 4 to 7 times that of high-speed steel. Cutting efficiency is high.

3. The service life of the mold, measuring tools, and cutting tools made of tungsten carbide is 20 to 150 times that of tool alloy steel.

4. Carbide can cut material with a hardness of 50 HRC.

Disadvantages of tungsten carbide

It has low bending strength, poor toughness, high brittleness, and low impact resistance.

HSS Performance

HSS is high carbon high alloy steel, which is a tool steel with high hardness, high wear resistance, and high-temperature resistance. In the state of quenching, iron, chromium, partial tungsten, and carbon in high-speed steel form an extremely hard carbide, improving the wear resistance of the steel. The other partial tungsten dissolves into the matrix, increasing the red hardness of the steel to 650°C.

Benefits of HSS

1. Good toughness, excellent toughness, sharp cutting edge.

2. Consistent quality, usually used for making small complex-shaped tools.

Disadvantages of HSS

Hardness, service life and HRC are much lower than tungsten carbide. At a high temperature of 600°C or more than 600°C, the hardness of high-speed steel will be greatly reduced and it cannot be used.

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