Carbide is a unique scrap metal that is used in particular industries and equipment. Commonly found in machine shops and drill bits, carbide scrap is a valuable commodity due to the higher-than-average price per pound. Every month, the iScrap App Team explores a metal and everything about it: its origin, its use, where it comes from, and how to scrap it. Want to learn more about other metals? You can always reference our metal guide and read about other Metals of the Month Highlights. Want to learn even more? You can subscribe on YouTube to watch our videos, listen to podcasts, and tune in weekly for Weekly Live Reports.
Where Does Carbide Come From?
Carbide is any chemical compound class composed of carbon and another less electronegative element than carbon. Carbides can be classified into two: Metal Carbides and Non-Metal Carbides. Carbides of silicon, tungsten, and several other elements are valued for their hardness, strength, and resistance to chemical attack, even at high temperatures. As a scrapper, the carbide you may be most familiar with is called interstitial carbide, tungsten, or tantalum carbide. These two are commonly used as high-speed cutting tools because of their extreme hardness and chemical inertness.
The History of Carbide
Tungsten Carbide, first discovered in 1781, has revolutionized the machine tool industry over the last few decades. Still, it wasn’t until 1931 that any industry found any use for the metal. A scientist named Dr. Samuel Leslie Hoyt, part of the General Electric Company’s Lamo Department, was the first to investigate tungsten. He later developed Carboloy, an alloy of tungsten, carbide, and cobalt.
Advantages of Carbide Tools
- It can be worked at higher speeds than high-speed steel tools, 6-8x higher speeds.
- Young’s Modulus of Elasticity of carbide tools is 3x that of still, making it very stiff.
- High-quality surface finish
- Excellent resistance to abrasion
- High resistance to catering and thermal deformations
- High-wear resistance
- A higher value for money than steel counterparts
- Chemically inert
- Tips of carbide-tipped tools can be easily replaced for further use
How Is Carbide Made?
Sticking with the theme of tungsten carbide, it can be made through several processes: powder metallurgy, combining tungsten metal and carbon at high temperatures (1400-2000° C) to create a reaction, or even using a lower-temperature fluid bed process. Before making carbide, tungsten ore must be mined and refined, with wolframite being the most well-known.
How Easy Is It To Scrap Carbide?
Carbide generally has a high scrap value and should be relatively easy to scrap. Start by asking your preferred scrap yard if they take carbide. If they don’t, your handy-dandy iScrap App will help you find a yard that does.
Another great option: if your yard doesn’t buy scrap carbide, Rockaway Recycling will! Rockaway Recycling buys carbide nationwide and will conveniently work with you to ship and receive payment promptly.
Suggested Reading: Guide to Selling Scrap Carbide
Where are common places Carbide is found?
- Your Workbench—Carbide is the ideal metal for drill bits and other tools, so your workbench is the best place to start looking!
- Machine Shops—Mechanics are bound to have carbide scrap and generally know that there is scrap value. Therefore, instead of asking for their carbide scrap for free, you would be better off proposing to buy it.
- Aircraft Equipment—Carbide’s resistance to extreme temperatures makes it the perfect metal for aircraft production. By all means, this won’t be an easy place to find carbide, but there is no harm in contacting your local airport and working something out for any carbide scrap they may have.
Key Trends for Carbide (2021-2026)
Tungsten carbide is anticipated to grow at a moderate compound annual growth rate of over 3.5% during the forecast period.
Cemented Carbide
Cemented carbide, a powder-form metallurgical material, is anticipated to drive market growth. It is considered the best material choice and often used because of its unique physical and mechanical properties – abrasion resistance, deflection resistance, tensile strength, compressive strength, and high-temperature wear resistance.
Asia-Pacific Region
The Asia-Pacific region represents the largest regional market and the fastest-growing market for the global tungsten carbide market. This is due to the growing demand for automotive, construction, and metalworking industries in China, India, and Japan.
Carbide Fun Facts
- Tungsten is shiny and easily processed. Though quite hard, it can only appear naturally when combined with mineral forms from calcium, iron, or manganese.
- Tungsten carbide is harder than titanium, and only diamond can scratch tungsten carbide. In the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, its score is 9, and that of titanium is 6.
- Tungsten’s boiling point is 10,030° F, and its melting point, the highest of all known metals on Earth, is 6,191° F.
- The U.S. has a strong supply of tungsten and often purchases and recycles it, but many other countries are principal tungsten-producing countries. Austria, Peru, Portugal, Russia, and Bolivia remain high producers. However, Australia, Japan, France, Sweden, Brazil, and a few more countries have seen a sharp decline in their tungsten production as mines have continued to close.
Related Articles:
References Used:
