Tungsten Carbide Grades — How to Choose and What We Report
"Tungsten carbide" covers a family of materials. Two parts made from different grades can behave very differently. This page explains how grades differ and what we confirm in writing when we quote. Our standard grades are listed below; for a quotation we name the grade we propose for your part and send its data sheet.
Our standard grades
Cobalt-bonded grades
| Grade | Binder | Density (g/cm³) | Hardness (HRA) | TRS (N/mm², min.) | Grain size | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YG6 | 6% Co | 14.80 | 90.0 | 2100 | Medium | |
| YG6X | 6% Co | 14.90 | 91.0 | 2150 | Fine | |
| YG6H | 6% Co | 14.90 | 91.5 | 2200 | Fine | HIP sintered |
| YG8 | 8% Co | 14.60 | 89.0 | 2300 | Medium | |
| YG12 | 12% Co | 14.25 | 88.0 | 2650 | Medium | |
| YG15 | 15% Co | 13.90 | 87.0 | 2850 | Medium | |
| YG20 | 20% Co | 13.50 | 84.5 | 3050 | Medium |
Nickel-bonded grades
Nickel binder resists leaching in seawater, acids and other corrosive fluids better than cobalt.
| Grade | Binder | Density (g/cm³) | Hardness (HRA) | TRS (N/mm², min.) | Grain size | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YN6 | 6% Ni | 14.75 | 89.5 | 1750 | Medium | |
| YN6X | 6% Ni | 14.80 | 90.5 | 1850 | Fine | |
| YN6H | 6% Ni | 14.85 | 91.0 | 1900 | Fine | HIP sintered |
| YN8 | 8% Ni | 14.55 | 88.5 | 1950 | Medium | |
| YN8X | 8% Ni | 14.60 | 89.0 | 2050 | Fine | |
| YN8H | 8% Ni | 14.65 | 89.0 | 2100 | Fine | HIP sintered |
| YN10 | 10% Ni | 14.35 | 87.5 | 2150 | Medium | |
| YN10X | 10% Ni | 14.40 | 88.0 | 2200 | Fine | |
| YN10H | 10% Ni | 14.45 | 88.0 | 2250 | Fine | HIP sintered |
1 N/mm² = 145 psi. Grades with the H suffix are HIP sintered. Special grades are available on request.
What makes one grade different from another
- Binder content (usually cobalt): more binder generally means a tougher, more impact-resistant grade, and a lower hardness and wear resistance.
- Tungsten carbide grain size: finer grains generally give higher hardness and edge strength; coarser grains give more toughness, which is why mining grades tend to be coarse-grained.
- Binder type: nickel-bonded grades are used where corrosion would attack a cobalt binder, for example seawater or some chemical service, and where a non-magnetic part is needed.
- Additives: small additions of other carbides are used to control grain growth or improve high-temperature behaviour, mainly in cutting grades.
ISO 513 application groups
ISO 513 groups hard cutting materials by the workpiece they are meant to cut — P (steel), M (stainless steel), K (cast iron), N (non-ferrous metals), S (heat-resistant alloys and titanium) and H (hardened materials), with a number indicating the position between wear resistance and toughness. It is an application classification, not a composition.
For carbide rods sold to tool makers, we state the suitable ISO groups for each grade. For wear parts, mining inserts and dies, the ISO cutting groups do not apply; the grade is chosen on binder content, grain size and service conditions instead.
Reading Chinese grade names (YG, YT, YW)
Many carbide producers in China use designations from the Chinese national standard. "YG" grades are tungsten carbide–cobalt grades, and the number is the nominal cobalt percentage — YG8 is nominally 8 % cobalt. Suffixes commonly indicate grain size, for example "X" for fine grain and "C" for coarse grain. "YT" and "YW" grades contain titanium and other carbides and are used mainly for cutting tools.
Names are a starting point only. Two producers' YG8 are not guaranteed to have the same hardness or strength, so always compare the data sheets.
What we confirm for the grade in your quotation
| Property | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Binder content (%) | Toughness versus wear resistance |
| Grain size class | Hardness, edge strength and toughness |
| Density (g/cm³) | Checks composition and sintering quality |
| Hardness (HRA or HV) | Wear resistance |
| Transverse rupture strength (N/mm²) | Resistance to breakage under bending |
Values come from the data sheet or test report for that grade, with the test method stated. If you work to a specific standard or need test certificates with the shipment, tell us when you request a quote.
Documentation with your order
Tell us in your request which documents you need with the shipment. EN 10204 3.1 — an inspection certificate reporting measured values for the batch you receive — is the usual request; a 2.2 test report shows routine production data instead.
The documents you need are confirmed in the quotation, together with the grade data sheet. If your specification calls for something less common, tell us what it says and we will come back on it.
Not sure which grade you need?
Tell us what the part does, what it is made of today and how it fails — wear, chipping, cracking or corrosion. That is usually enough for us to propose a grade and explain why.