This section provides an overview for tungsten carbide as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 19 tungsten carbide manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked tungsten carbide companies as of November, 2024: 1.CY Carbide MFG. Co., Ltd., 2.BUFFALO TUNGSTEN INC., 3.General Carbide Corporation.
Table of Contents
Tungsten carbide, a compound of tungsten and carbon, is known for its exceptional hardness, high modulus of elasticity (Young's modulus), and excellent corrosion resistance. It combines the properties of both metals and ceramics, making it extremely rigid and durable.
Discovered in Chusum County, Shannan City, Tibet Autonomous Region, China, natural tungsten carbide was named Qusongite in 2007. Exposure to tungsten carbide dust can cause pulmonary fibrosis, similar to silicosis, and WC-Co alloys are considered potential carcinogens.
Primarily, tungsten carbide serves as a crucial material for cemented carbides, particularly in WC-Co alloys, which exhibit outstanding mechanical properties upon mixing and sintering with cobalt (Co). These alloys, alongside WC-Ni alloys containing nickel (Ni), are renowned for their rigidity, hardness, and wear resistance. They find extensive use in cutting tools, wire drawing dies, rolling rolls, and various types of dies.
Enhancements in oxidation and corrosion resistance are achieved by adding titanium carbide (TiC) and tantalum carbide (TaC) to WC-Co alloys.
With a melting point of 2,870°C and a boiling point of 6,000°C, tungsten carbide appears as a gray or black solid. Its Young's modulus is approximately 550 GPa, making it significantly more rigid than steel, and its hardness rivals that of α-aluminum oxide.
The chemical formula of tungsten carbide is WC, featuring a molar mass of 195.851 g/mol. It exists in two forms: hexagonal α-tungsten carbide and cubic β-tungsten carbide, with distinct structural properties and a high density of 15.63 g/cm3 for the α form.
Tungsten carbide is synthesized through high-temperature reactions between carbon and tungsten, utilizing various methods such as the fluidized bed technique or direct heating with graphite and tungsten(VI) oxide. Alternative methods include reactions involving tungsten hexachloride or tungsten hexafluoride with suitable carbon sources and reducing agents.
This compound exhibits strong resistance to acids and is insoluble in water, hydrochloric acid, and sulfuric acid. It dissolves in nitric hydrofluoric acid and aqua regia. Tungsten carbide begins to oxidize at temperatures between 500-600°C and reacts with fluorine and chlorine under specific conditions. In fine powder form, it oxidizes in aqueous hydrogen peroxide solutions and reacts with sodium carbonate at elevated temperatures and pressures.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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General Carbide Corporation, established in 1968, is a vertically integrated manufacturer of finished tooling and wear parts based in Greensburg, PA. As an ISO 9001:2015-certified company, they employ more than 250 highly-skilled professionals and have four facilities. With Mona Pappafava-Ray as CEO since 2002, they have achieved the Outstanding CEOs & Top Executives, Business Women First Award, Torch Award, and EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2019 Award. The company offers a wide range of tungsten carbide and steel tooling products for over two dozen market segments, including automotive, oil and gas, and stamping, among others.
Stanford Advanced Materials was established in 1994 in Lake Forest, California to provide rare-earth products for research and development purposes. Stanford Advanced Materials serves many industries ranging from automotive to fashion to energy to research to sports to textiles. Stanford Advanced Materials manufactures and distributes purified metals, ceramics, composite materials including strips, plates, rods, wires, and bars, as well as laboratory equipment and optical equipment including crystals, lenses, splitters, and windows.
Since its establishment in 1987, Buffalo Tungsten Inc. is a manufacturer of tungsten and tungsten carbide products, based in the United States. The company offers a wide range of products including tungsten powders, rods, and custom-engineered components, serving industries such as aerospace, defense, and electronics. Buffalo Tungsten demonstrates unwavering devotion to excellence, providing unfailing tungsten solutions. Their expertise lies in producing precision-engineered components that meet the unique needs of their clients, ensuring durability and performance in challenging environments.
Hartford Technologies was founded in 1926 in Hartford, Connecticut and is currently headquartered in the suburbs of Hartford in Rocky Hill. The ISO 9001 certified company is a manufacturer of custom bearings and assembly solutions for the automotive, agriculture, medical, and other industries. The company has four primary product categories: Custom Bearings & Components, Precision Balls, Bearing Parts, and Precision Pins, Shafts, and Rollers. The company’s manufacturing and service capabilities include prototype development, 3D modeling, technical support including inventor management, and quality control systems.
Kennametal, Inc. is an American manufacturer and distributor of engineering tools and materials that was established in 1938 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company primarily produces mining and metalworking tools such as solid carbide cutters and indexable inserts. They also offer components as well as materials, including metal powders, drill bits, tungsten-based alloys, and carbide rods and blanks. These are commonly used in construction, transportation, and energy production, as well as in surface and underground mining operations. Kennametal, Inc. operates internationally with several subsidiaries of its own, including Sintec Keramik GmbH, Stellite Holdings Ltd, and Conforma Clad Inc.
Zhuzhou Old Craftsman Precision Alloy Co., Ltd., established in 2007 and headquartered in Hunan, China, is a manufacturer of tungsten carbide products. The company offers a wide range of products, including carbide rods, carbide strips, carbide plates, carbide saw tips, and more. It also provides carbide mining tools, carbide cutting inserts, and carbide buttons. Its products are hip sintered, high hardness, and high wear resistance. Furthermore, the company has received ISO 9001 certification. It serves several industries such as automotive, aerospace, electronics, energy, mining, and more.
Kanto Chemical Co. Inc., founded in 1944 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a reagent manufacturer with overseas affiliates in other countries, including China, France, USA, Taiwan, and Malaysia. Its product portfolio includes analytical reagents, ionic liquids, Iodine compounds, ultra-pure chemicals, and water analysis kits. The company is also developing regenerative medicine and genetics reagents and has over 50,000 products. It has several certifications, including ISO 9001, acquired in 1994, making it the first Japanese company in the reagent industry. Other certifications are ISO 14001, ISO 13485, and ISO/IEC 17025.
A.L.M.T. Corp., founded in Japan in 1939, is a manufacturer of heat spreaders, tungsten/molybdenum powder and machined products. The company's product portfolio includes diamond cutting tools, CBN cutting, grinding tools, metallic materials that are used for electrodes in various electronics and heat-resistant parts for high temperature furnaces and drawing dies. The company serves industries such as oil and gas, aerospace and defense, automotive and transportation, construction, and power generation. The company also provides services including national distribution, product selection, installation, preventative maintenance, troubleshooting, repair and customer service.
Zhuzhou Major Cemented Carbide Co., Ltd., established in 1954 and headquartered in Zhuzhou, Hunan, China, is a manufacturer and exporter of tungsten carbide products. Its diverse product range includes tungsten carbide rods, strips, tips, inserts, dies, as well as blades and balls. These offerings play a vital role in enhancing the performance, wear resistance, and durability of tools and machinery across a spectrum of applications such as metal cutting, woodworking, stone carving, and oil exploration. The company meticulously follows customer drawings and material specifications, while maintaining rigorous quality control from raw materials procurement to the final product stage.
H.C. Starck Tungsten GmbH is a developer, manufacturer, and supplier of tungsten and tungsten compounds established in 1920 and headquartered in Goslar, Germany. The company specializes in tungsten and tungsten carbides, available in ultra-fine to coarse grain sizes. It also offers tantalum, niobium carbide powders, and custom powder mixtures according to the client’s specifications. It operates in three locations: Germany, China, and Canada. The company obtained ISO 9001, ISO 14001, SA 8000, and EMAS certifications, and it caters to diverse sectors, including automotive, aviation, oil and gas, chemical, and medical industries.
Zigong Xingyu Technicarbide, established in 1999, is a manufacturer of tungsten carbide products headquartered in Sichuan, China. The company specializes in tungsten carbide, including cold forging die cores, plates and boards, round rods, milling tools, and geological exploration drill tools. Some of its product offerings are customized tungsten carbide precision parts, blades, button bits, bushing, and valve cores. The company passed the ISO 9001:2018 certification. It caters to the machinery, mining, petroleum, and construction industries and exports to the UK, Europe, South America, and Southeast Asia.
CY Carbide MFG. Co., Ltd. was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Kunshan, China, and it is a reputable manufacturer and exporter specializing in producing high tungsten carbide products, RTP powders, and CERMET materials. The company provides a wide range of high standards and specialized products that effectively cater to the demanding requirements of many business sectors globally. Furthermore, the quality products offered by the company are ensured by a robust process management system, principal to a uniform level of quality for each batch and product.
BNB Int Co. Ltd. is a manufacturer of bearings and motors that was established in Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea, in 1990. The company’s products include ball bearings and related products, such as ball and spring plungers and ball transfer units for conveyor systems or robots. It also offers various motors for industrial applications, including stepper motors and DC motors, as well as motor parts for repair such as rotary dampers. The company’s products are mainly used by its clients in the semiconductor, automotive, and rail industries.
Tokyo Byora Koki Co., Ltd., established in 1961, and headquartered in Niiza City, Japan, is a manufacturer of carbide dies and machinery components. The company utilizes and applies its micro deep hole processing technology to a range of product fields, including medical applications, aerospace, and precision components related to semiconductors. It is actively involved in precision processing of challenging materials, with a limit of 0.1mm, such as titanium alloy and iridium.
Merck, started in 1668 and based in Darmstadt, Germany, is a supplier of solutions and services for research, development, and manufacture of pharmaceutical and biotechnological drug therapies. The company serves the life science industry and has a broad portfolio of 300,000 products, including biopharmaceutical manufacturing, industrial microbiology, reagent, life science research, and water purification products. It is available in 66 countries, brings together six brands, and has several ISO certifications, including ISO 13485, ISO 14001, ISO 13485, and ISO 50001.
Global Tungsten & Powders, established in 1916 and headquartered in Pennsylvania, is a developer, manufacturer, and supplier of refractory metal powders such as tungsten, tungsten carbide, and cobalt. The company mainly supplies tungsten and tungsten carbide powders and transforms tungsten heavy alloy powders into finished components for the aerospace and defense industries. It also produces various products such as ammonium paratungstate, tungsten oxide, tungsten metal powder, Tungsten Carbide, and ready-to-press grade powder. It has three production plants in Europe that are certified to the ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and ISO 17025:2017 standards.
T&D Materials Manufacturing LLC is an ISO certified company based in Pennsylvania, USA, as a supplier and manufacturer of tungsten, rare metal sheets, tubes, and parts since 1993. The company produces filaments, fasteners, coils, plates, and various components from conflict-free sourced tungsten, tantalum, molybdenum, alloys, and other metals. Their facilities possess direct pressing, HIP sintering, and CNC preforming, and finishing capabilities. The company's products have application in furnace construction, thin film evaporation, vacuum metalizing, and semiconductor industries.
Xi’an Functional Material Group Co., LTD (FM) was founded in 2002 and headquartered in Xi’an, China. FM specializes in high purity film coating materials and inorganic compound powder materials. FM’s product lineup includes two segments, film coating materials and inorganic compound powder. Film coating materials emphasizes metal sputtering targets, metal alloy sputtering targets, ceramic sputtering targets, evaporation materials, as well as other materials. Inorganic compound powder unit includes high purity metal materials, rare earth materials, chalcogenide materials, halides, nitrides, bodies, silicate materials, and other advanced materials.
Ranking as of November 2024
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | CY Carbide MFG. Co., Ltd. |
14.1%
|
2 | BUFFALO TUNGSTEN INC. |
7.6%
|
3 | General Carbide Corporation |
7.2%
|
4 | Global Tungsten & Powders |
6.7%
|
5 | H.C. Starck Tungsten GmbH |
6.5%
|
6 | Zigong Xingyu Technicarbide |
6.1%
|
7 | Kennametal Inc. |
5.9%
|
8 | Zhuzhou Major cemented carbide Co.,Ltd |
5.4%
|
9 | Reid Supply |
5.0%
|
10 | Stanford Advanced Materials |
4.8%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the tungsten carbide page as of November 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
---|---|---|
United States of America | 6 | 42.9% |
China | 5 | 35.7% |
Japan | 2 | 14.3% |
Germany | 1 | 7.1% |