In industrial manufacturing sectors like the medical device field or aerospace, using carbides for grinding and coating applications is common. However, many industry workers don’t know much about carbides and why they are important for so many industries. Read on to learn more about these essential carbon-metal materials!
What Are Carbides?
Carbides are a combination of carbon and other elements like silicon, chromium, and tungsten. These elements come together to form a unique crystalline material that’s extremely hard, wear resistant, and high-temperature tolerant. Scientifically speaking, carbides are a subgroup of hard metal. They’re also known as cemented carbides.
Why Are Carbines Important in Industrial Grinding?
Carbides are highly crucial in various industrial applications like metal fabrication, woodworking, medical device manufacturing, aerospace, glass and ceramic manufacturing, and general manufacturing. Carbides are often present on grinding and cutting tools because of their hardness and resistance to wear.
Ultimately, carbides are ideal for grinding applications due to their ability to resist abrasive materials, withstand high temperatures, and maintain strength against heavy traffic. They also serve as coatings that increase metal substrates’ durability and wear resistance.
Types of Carbides and Their Benefits
There are various types of carbides, and the most common ones include titanium carbide, tungsten carbide, and chromium carbide. Each type of carbide has unique characteristics and is for different applications. For example, tungsten carbide is ideal for cutting and drilling tools, while chromium carbide is the protective byproduct of HVOF thermal spray coatings on different substrates like stainless steel.
The benefits of using carbides in industrial grinding processes are vast. They provide superior performance, reduce tool wear, and extend the useful life of the equipment used in these processes. Carbides’ hardness and wear resistance also make them excellent for use in critical industrial applications, where wear and tear are significant concerns. However, certain carbides can harm the substrate material over time. This underscores the importance of removing HVOF coatings to preserve substrates.
Carbides are crucial materials that play a vital role in various industrial sectors and applications, and their benefits are enormous. Importantly, understanding what carbides are and why they are important to so many applications ensures you can maximize the performance and efficiency of your industrial processes.
