What is the difference between tungsten carbide and alloy steel?

Composition: Tungsten carbide is mainly composed of metals (such as tungsten, cobalt, etc.) and carbides (such as tungsten carbide), etc., and the hard particles are combined together to form composite materials through metal bonds. Alloy steel is a variant of steel that mainly consists of iron as the base metal, with alloying elements (such as chromium, molybdenum, nickel, etc.) added to change the properties of the steel.

Hardness: Tungsten carbide has a high hardness, usually between 8 and 9, which is determined by the hard particles it contains, such as tungsten carbide. The hardness of alloy steels depends on their specific composition, but they are generally relatively low, generally between 5 and 8 on the Mohs scale.

Wear resistance: Tungsten carbide is suitable for cutting, grinding, and polishing tools in high-wear environments due to its high hardness and wear resistance. Alloy steels have lower wear resistance than cemented carbide, but are generally higher than ordinary steels and can be used to make wear parts and engineering components.

Toughness: Tungsten carbide is generally less ductile because the hard particles in its structure cause it to be brittle. Alloy steels typically have high toughness and can withstand greater shock and vibration loads.

Applications: Tungsten carbide is mainly used in cutting tools, abrasive tools, excavation tools and wear parts to provide excellent performance in high load and high wear environments. Alloy steels are widely used in the manufacture of engineering components, auto parts, mechanical parts, bearings and other fields to meet specific strength, toughness and corrosion resistance requirements.

Overall, there are significant differences between tungsten carbide and alloy steel in terms of composition, hardness, wear resistance, toughness, and application. They have their own advantages and applicability in different fields and specific engineering requirements.