# Cemented tungsten carbide

WC-based hardmetal grade identity, binder and grain-size effects, property-test limits and processing/service selection.

Reviewed: 2026-11-01

Tags: materials, composites, hardmetals, tungsten-carbide

Hyperion lists typical sintered hardness of **1600 HV30 for K15 (10 wt.% cobalt)** and **1295 HV30 for K40 (12 wt.% cobalt)** in its ready-to-press powder table. Both contain **0.50 wt.% Cr₃C₂**. Use the named grade and sintering route when requesting hardness acceptance for a finished part. [Hyperion ready-to-press grade table](https://www.hyperionmt.com/globalassets/nosearchfiles/product-pdfs/rtp/Hyperion_Ready_to_Press_Powder_Grades)

## Material identity

Cemented tungsten carbide is a composite: hard tungsten-carbide grains are held in a metallic binder. Common “straight” grades use WC and cobalt, with small additions to control properties. Other grades use nickel-containing or alternative binders and may include additional carbides. The term **carbide** alone does not identify a reproducible engineering material. [Hyperion, WC-Co grades](https://www.hyperionmt.com/en/Resources/materials/cemented-carbide/wc-co-grades/); [Hyperion, cemented-carbide families](https://www.hyperionmt.com/en/Resources/materials/cemented-carbide/)

Specify manufacturer and grade, binder chemistry/content, grain-size category, product route, supplied condition, dimensions, finish and acceptance requirements. Do not treat cemented WC as pure tungsten, monolithic WC, a carbide coating on steel or a titanium-based cermet. A coating can be an additional feature of a cemented-carbide substrate rather than its identity.

Grade names and application classifications are selection aids. They are not universal cross-manufacturer equivalence codes. Confirm an approved substitution against the complete material, geometry, surface and service requirements rather than matching one hardness number.

## Binder and microstructure matter

Hyperion classifies WC-Co grades by cobalt content and WC grain size. This allows combinations of wear resistance, strength and toughness to be tailored to an application. A higher binder percentage or a finer grain label does not, by itself, specify the finished component's service life. [Hyperion WC-Co grade guidance](https://www.hyperionmt.com/en/Resources/materials/cemented-carbide/wc-co-grades/)

Keep the failure mechanism explicit when selecting a grade: abrasion, edge chipping, impact fracture, deformation, corrosion and thermal damage are different problems. Selecting the hardest available grade is not a complete response to a part that fails by fracture. Likewise, a tougher choice still needs adequate wear and chemical performance.

## Bounded named-grade example

Hyperion's **Ready-to-Press Powder Grades**, document code **TS-RTP 1910-001 ENG A4**, lists these typical sintered properties for standard wear-part grades:

| Hyperion grade | WC, weight % | Co, weight % | Cr₃C₂, weight % | Density | Vickers hardness |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| K15 | 89.5 | 10 | 0.50 | 14.48 g/cm³ | 1600 HV30 |
| K40 | 87.5 | 12 | 0.50 | 14.25 g/cm³ | 1295 HV30 |

The table explicitly labels all data typical. It describes a ready-to-press powder offering and its sintered property data, not a guarantee for an independently manufactured part. The document has a printed code/copyright statement but no explicit calendar revision date. [Hyperion ready-to-press grade table](https://www.hyperionmt.com/globalassets/nosearchfiles/product-pdfs/rtp/Hyperion_Ready_to_Press_Powder_Grades)

## Read mechanical tests correctly

Hyperion explains that strength is affected by defects and stressed material volume. Its transverse rupture strength (TRS) discussion distinguishes rectangular from cylindrical specimens and cautions that their results differ. TRS is a bending-fracture measurement, not tensile yield strength. [Hyperion mechanical-strength guidance](https://www.hyperionmt.com/en/Resources/materials/cemented-carbide/cemented-carbide-mechanical-strength/)

Compare like tests using the same specimen geometry, surface preparation, temperature and sampling basis. Use separate evidence for hardness, toughness and compressive strength. Keep TRS, HRA and HV30 in distinct fields and use the specified hardness scale for acceptance.

Design the actual load path, supports, edge geometry and contact conditions. Local bending or point contact can govern failure even where the nominal assembly load is compressive. A coupon result does not directly rate a long rod, thin wall, sharp corner or brazed insert.

Hyperion also reports reduced strength with temperature, possible creep under prolonged high-temperature loading and no definite infinite-life fatigue limit. Avoid assigning a universal fatigue limit or continuous-service temperature from room-temperature hardness. [Hyperion mechanical strength and fatigue sections](https://www.hyperionmt.com/en/Resources/materials/cemented-carbide/cemented-carbide-mechanical-strength/)

## Corrosion and thermal service

The binder is part of chemical compatibility. Hyperion describes corrosion-resistant grades made by alloying cobalt with nickel/chromium or replacing the binder with a more resistant alloy. That does not make every nickel-bonded grade immune to every process liquid. [Hyperion corrosion-resistant binder grades](https://www.hyperionmt.com/en/Resources/materials/cemented-carbide/corrosion-resistant-grades/)

Specify the actual medium, concentration, temperature, contaminants, flow/erosion conditions and cleaning cycle. Corrosion and wear can interact, so satisfactory dry abrasion performance does not qualify a wetted seal, nozzle or pump component. Obtain grade-specific evidence for the intended exposure, including binder loss and contamination requirements where relevant. Do not reduce compatibility to one universal pH range.

Hyperion's thermal guidance shows dependence on binder, additional carbide phases, microstructure and temperature. It also notes lower expansion than common steels. For a carbide/steel assembly, assess the resulting mismatch rather than borrowing one expansion coefficient for every grade and temperature interval. [Hyperion thermal properties](https://www.hyperionmt.com/en/Resources/materials/cemented-carbide/thermal-properties/)

Evaluate gradients, heating/cooling rates and restrained expansion as well as peak temperature. A material's sintering temperature is a manufacturing parameter, not its allowable operating temperature. Cutting-tool hot performance likewise does not establish the rating of a static loaded wear component.

## Manufacturing and joining

Hyperion describes sintered components finished by grinding, lapping or polishing. Its preform service also lists wire EDM, grinding and honing capabilities. These are available process routes, not universal instructions for every grade, section or surface requirement. [Hyperion material/process overview](https://www.hyperionmt.com/en/Resources/materials/cemented-carbide/); [Hyperion powder-to-preform guidance](https://www.hyperionmt.com/en/products/Carbide-rods/resources/from-powder-to-preforms/)

Agree the blank route and finishing allowances early. Define critical dimensions, datums, edge preparation and finish, and qualify final surfaces for the intended load and wear mechanism. A near-net blank, a ground rod and a finished insert have different acceptance states.

Brazed carbide tips are another manufacturer-described option, but the joint needs its own design. Specify substrate, filler, joint geometry, thermal cycle and inspection with the joining supplier. Hardness or parent-material strength does not establish braze reliability, residual stress or thermal-cycle life. [Hyperion material-handling wear solutions](https://www.hyperionmt.com/en/products/Wear-Parts/engineered-wear-solutions/material-handling/)

## Handling, qualification and release

Obtain the applicable supplied-product safety information before grinding, polishing, brazing or processing powders. Hyperion's SDS request process identifies the specific product and country, supporting product-specific handling guidance rather than treating every binder and supplied form alike. [Hyperion safety-data-sheet information](https://www.hyperionmt.com/en/contact/sds/)

Qualify the component with representative geometry, final surface, mounting and service conditions. Record the observed failure mechanism and acceptance criteria; a successful hardness check alone does not establish wear life, impact resistance or chemical suitability.

Retain grade/lot identity and the manufacturing route through finishing and joining. Keep typical catalog data separate from contracted limits, measured batch results and demonstrated assembly performance. For an agent-readable record, store **grade, binder, grain category, form/process, test conditions, value status and service scope** together.

## Related reference

[Material selection through production](../grades-tempers-and-conditions.md)