What is tungsten carbide?

Recently, covid 19 outbreak spreads in Shanghai, China. There are more than 25,000 new asymptomatic domestic infections every day. China is implementing a dynamic zero-out policy. A leading respiratory expert said the key to COVID-19 prevention and control is to minimize transmission and fatality rate. Omicron has a low case fatality rate but is highly transmissible and can still claim many lives in large outbreaks. "Total openness is not applicable in China.  For China, we should keep to the dynamic zero-out and gradually open up."  

However, "dynamic zero clearance" is not the pursuit of complete "zero infection".  As the Novel Coronavirus has its own uniqueness and strong concealment, there may be no way to prevent the detection of cases at present, but rapid detection and prompt treatment must be carried out, as soon as one case is found, one case will be dealt with.  

The situation in Shanghai is serious. As the financial center of China, Shanghai is a very important city, and the outbreak of the epidemic in Shanghai will put a great impact on China's economy.  The current task is to contain the spread of the epidemic as soon as possible, to achieve social zero so that Shanghai's life and economy quickly return to normal.  

As China plays an important role in the global supply chain, the outbreak will have a significant impact on the supply and prices of many WC powder.

Introduction to Tungsten Carbide
Tungsten carbide (chemical formula WC) is a compound (especially a carbide) containing equal amounts of tungsten and carbon atoms. 
In its most basic form, tungsten carbide is a fine grey powder, but it can be pressed into shape by sintering and used in industrial machinery, cutting tools, chisels, abrasives, armor-piercing bullets, and jewelry.
Tungsten carbide is about twice as hard as steel, with Young's modulus of about 530-700GPa, twice the density of steel - almost halfway between lead and gold. 
 
High strength, high density, and high hardness are the distinguishing characteristics of tungsten carbide, making it a versatile material with a variety of uses. Tungsten carbide can withstand extremely high temperatures, making it an excellent material for machining and cutting tools, even furnaces, and can conduct electricity. Abrasion and corrosion resistance are among the other properties of tungsten carbide.
Tungsten carbide has a high melting point of 2,870 °C (3,140 K). It has a boiling point of 6,000 °C (6,270 K), thermal conductivity of 110W·m (-1) ·K (-1), and thermal expansion coefficient of 5.5μm·m (-1) ·K (-1) at a pressure equivalent to 1 atmosphere (101.325 kpa). 
Tungsten carbide is very hard, with a Morse rating of about 9 to 9.5 and a Vickers number of about 2600. It has a young's modulus of about 530-700 gpa, a volume modulus of 630-655gpa, and a shear modulus of 274GPa. Its ultimate tensile strength is 344 MPa, its ultimate compressive strength is about 2.7GPa, and Poisson's ratio is 0.31. 
The p-wave velocity (sound speed) through the tungsten carbide thin rod is 6220 m/s. 
Tungsten carbide has a low resistivity of about 0.2 µ ω ·m, comparable to some metals, such as vanadium. 
 
Tungsten Carbide VS Diamond
Tungsten carbide is a very hard material. It is predicted to have a Mohs hardness of 8.5 to 9, second only to diamonds. This makes it a valuable metal with many different uses.  Tungsten carbide bits are very tough for operations where other metal bits can become blunt and break.
 
Tungsten Carbide VS Steel
Steel has three times less rigidity than tungsten. This rigidity makes tungsten stronger than steel and titanium. Tungsten is very durable and can withstand many penalties in any job.  Whether it's tungsten powder or tungsten carbide blades, this compound gets the job done. 
 
Tungsten Carbide Application
Buildings
Buildings need to use tools of high strength and toughness so that they can withstand the materials used to form most structures. Materials such as cement and asphalt are difficult to penetrate and require exceptionally durable and strong blades or drills, such as those made of tungsten carbide. Tungsten carbide is commonly used in building materials such as saws and drill bits because it is almost unbreakable.
 
Industrial alloys 
To make electronics, construction projects, industrial gears, and even aviation equipment, alloys are made by mixing metals with other metals or elements. These alloys have specific properties, such as strength or heat resistance, which are necessary for each product and its use. Alloys made from tungsten carbide are a particularly popular choice for building materials and tools. About 17% of tungsten carbide is used to make these alloys. 
 
Production of surgical tools 
Tungsten carbide is commonly used to make surgical instruments because it improves their performance and is resistant to corrosion. It increases the life and strength of surgical tools. The properties of tungsten carbide, such as its ability to sharpen while maintaining hardness, are well suited to the surgical industry.
 
Others
Because of its durability and strength, tungsten carbide can be used in sports equipment such as golf clubs. It can be used for Musical Instruments such as guitar slides. Another important use of tungsten carbide is for the nibs of ballpoint pens. Tungsten carbide is also used in electrical components, especially light bulbs, because of its heat resistance.  Another application of tungsten carbide is in armor-piercing ammunition because it is a durable and tough material. In addition, another interesting and avant-garde application of tungsten carbide is in space satellites, because it can resist extreme temperature fluctuations.
 
Tungsten Carbide Supplier
Luoyang Tongrun Nano Technology Co. Ltd. (TRUNNANO) is a trusted global chemical material supplier & manufacturer with over 12-year-experience in providing super high-quality chemicals and Nanomaterials, including carbide powder, nitride powder, graphite powder, zinc sulfide, calcium nitride, 3D printing powder, etc.
If you are looking for high-quality tungsten carbide powder, please feel free to contact us and send an inquiry. ([email protected])
 

At present, international supply chains were shocked, and logistics and transportation efficiency decreases. Geopolitical conflicts further aggravate uncertainties about the European and American economic recovery and the global commodity supply. For this reason, I assume the price of the WC powder would not decrease significantly in the short term.

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