A new category of wear material
The cast-in-carbide wear material, developed and pioneered by Sandvik, is unique in combining the distinct mechanical properties of its two component materials: nodular iron as the base material incorporating layered cemented carbides.
Nodular iron
Nodular iron, also known as ductile iron, is a type of cast iron characterized by its unique microstructure, which enhances its mechanical properties. It contains graphite in the form of nodules or spheroids, which impart ductility and toughness. This structure is achieved by adding nodulizing elements like magnesium during the casting process.
Nodular iron has a higher tensile strength than almost all other forms of iron, it can undergo significant deformation before failure, it absorbs energy well, and it has good fatigue resistance. It’s therefore suitable for use in components subjected to dynamic and cyclic loading conditions.
Photo: HX900 plate
Cemented carbide
Sandvik’s cemented carbides consist of hard carbide particles bonded together by a metallic binder, primarily tungsten carbide (WC). WC has a hardness of about 9 on the Mohs scale, making it one of the hardest known materials, just below diamond and cubic boron nitride.
This extreme hardness provides outstanding resistance to wear and abrasion, making cemented carbides ideal for cutting tools and wear-resistant components.
At Sandvik, cemented carbides are extensively used in the manufacturing of cutting tools for machining metals, wood, plastics and other materials, as well as in rock drilling tools and mining equipment.