Tungstenkarbidin

Tungstenkarbidin, also known as tungsten carbide, is a chemical compound with the formula WC. It is a very hard, brittle, greyish-black crystalline solid. Tungsten carbide is approximately twice as stiff as steel, with a Young's modulus of about 530 GPa, and is harder than glass and most steels. Its hardness is comparable to that of corundum and diamond.

The primary method of producing tungsten carbide is by heating a mixture of tungsten powder and carbon black in a furnace at temperatures between 1400 and 2000 °C in a hydrogen atmosphere. The reaction is as follows: W + C → WC. This process results in a high-purity tungsten carbide powder.

Tungsten carbide is widely used in industry due to its exceptional hardness and wear resistance. Its most common application is in the production of cemented carbide, a composite material where tungsten carbide powder is sintered with a binder metal, typically cobalt. Cemented carbide is used to make cutting tools, drills, milling cutters, and other machining tools. It is also found in wear-resistant parts such as bearings, nozzles, and punches. Due to its hardness, it is also used in bulletproof vests and in the tips of some drill bits. In jewelry, tungsten carbide is known for its durability and scratch resistance.