


There are two well-characterized compounds of tungsten and carbon, WC and tungsten semicarbide, WĢC.

Other methods include a lower temperature fluid bed process that reacts either tungsten metal or blue WO Tungsten carbide is prepared by reaction of tungsten metal and carbon at 1,400–2,000 ☌. Tungsten is Swedish for "heavy stone".Ĭolloquially among workers in various industries (such as machining), tungsten carbide is often simply called carbide. Historically referred to as Wolfram, Wolf Rahm, wolframite ore was then later carburized and cemented with a binder creating a composite now called "tungsten carbide". It is comparable with corundum (α- Alģ) in hardness and can be polished and finished only with abrasives of superior hardness such as cubic boron nitride and diamond powder, wheels and compounds. Tungsten carbide is approximately twice as stiff as steel, with a Young's modulus of approximately 530–700 GPa, and is double the density of steel-nearly the same as gold. In its most basic form, tungsten carbide is a fine gray powder, but it can be pressed and formed into shapes through sintering for use in industrial machinery, cutting tools, chisels, abrasives, armor-piercing shells and jewelry.

High-Speed Steel (HSS) is a lower-cost drill bit good for drilling into soft steels, wood and plastic.Ĭobalt (HSCO) includes between 5 and 8% cobalt in the base, making it an excellent option for drilling into harder steel and stainless steel.Ĭarbide is the strongest drill bit for metal and is typically reserved for professional-grade tools.īlack Oxide is a coating added to HSS drill bits that helps reduce friction and speed up drilling through hard metals.Tungsten carbide ( chemical formula: WC) is a chemical compound (specifically, a carbide) containing equal parts of tungsten and carbon atoms.
#Best cobalt drill bits for hardened steel how to#
Here’s a crash course on how to choose the best drill bit for metal: And don’t forget to always use your metal drill bit at low speed for the best results. You can use one made of titanium for soft metal, and for light metal and aluminum, a black oxide coated-drill bit or a high-speed drill bit will do the job. Cobalt is a material that offers better results in drilling through metal successfully. How To Choose the Best Drill Bits for Metalįor the best power drilling results for metal and steel, always choose a drill bit made of or has a percentage of cobalt. Usually, these bits are an excellent choice for soft metals and aluminum, but hard metals still may need a specialized drill bit. Often these drill bits for metal are sold as kits and are multi-purpose bits that you can use for various types of materials, including metal, wood and plastic. There are many metal drill bit materials to choose from, including cobalt, high-speed steel, black oxide, titanium, etc.
