With the continuous advancement of technology and the development of industry, tungsten alloys, and titanium alloys, two high-performance alloys, have been widely applied in many fields. They are highly regarded due to their excellent mechanical properties, good corrosion resistance, and high-temperature performance.
Öyleyse, let’s compare the features and differences with them.
I. Tungsten Alloys
Tungsten alloy is an alloy composed mainly of tungsten, with added elements such as nickel, cobalt, and iron.
- High Density: Tungsten alloy has a high density, typically ranging from 16 ile 20 g/cm³, more than twice the density of steel. This high density gives tungsten alloy a significant mass, which can effectively resist external impact and pressure.
- High Hardness: Tungsten alloy is tough, usually ranging from 8 ile 9 on the Mohs scale. Its high hardness provides excellent wear resistance, making it suitable for high-load, high-friction environments.
- High Melting Point: Tungsten alloy has a high melting point, generally between 3420-3800°C. This high melting point gives tungsten alloy good high-temperature resistance, making it applicable in high-temperature environments.
- Good Corrosion Resistance: Tungsten alloy has good corrosion resistance at normal temperature and pressure, capable of resisting corrosion from most acids, bases, and salts.
II. Titanyum Alaşımları
Titanium alloy is composed mainly of titanium, with added elements such as aluminum, vanadyum, and zirconium.
- Lightweight: Titanium alloy has a low density, typically between 4 ile 5 g/cm³, about one-third the density of steel. Its lightweight nature reduces structural weight effectively.
- Yüksek güç: Titanium alloy has high strength, usually ranging from 800 ile 1000 MPa. This high strength gives titanium alloy excellent load-bearing capacity, making it suitable for high-stress environments.
- Good Corrosion Resistance: Titanium alloy has good corrosion resistance at normal temperature and pressure, especially exhibiting superior corrosion resistance in seawater.
- Good Biocompatibility: Titanium alloy has good biocompatibility, making it widely used in the medical field, such as in artificial joints and implantable stents.
III. Differences Between Tungsten Alloy and Titanium Alloy
- Density: Tungsten alloy has a higher density than titanium alloy, meaning tungsten alloy is heavier and has stronger impact and pressure resistance. Tersine, titanium alloy’s lower density makes it more suitable for applications requiring lightweight materials.
- Hardness: Tungsten alloy is harder than titanium alloy, providing better wear resistance. Fakat, in applications where good machinability is required, titanium alloy’s lower hardness is advantageous.
- Melting Point: Tungsten alloy has a higher melting point than titanium alloy, providing better high-temperature performance. Fakat, titanium alloy has superior oxidation resistance at high temperatures.
- Korozyon Direnci: Both tungsten alloy and titanium alloy have good corrosion resistance at normal temperature and pressure, but in specific environments such as seawater, titanium alloy’s corrosion resistance is superior.
- Application Fields: Tungsten alloy is primarily used in high-load, high-friction, and impact-resistant applications, such as cutting tools, drill bits, and molds. Titanium alloy is mainly used in aerospace, havacılık, and medical fields that require lightweight, high strength, and corrosion resistance.
You May Think “Is Tungsten Titanium Alloy Much Better? “
In this case, we have to talk about a type of alloy, named hard alloy.
What is “Hard Alloy”?
Definition:
- Hard alloy is a type of alloy material made from the hard compounds of refractory metals and binding metals through the powder metallurgy process.
Özellikler:
- High hardness
- Wear resistance
- Good strength and toughness
- Heat resistance
- Corrosion resistance
- Maintains high hardness and wear resistance up to 500°C
- Retains significant hardness even at 1000°C
Uygulamalar:
- Manufacturing of cutting tools, blades, and wear-resistant parts
- Military industry
- Aerospace
- Machinery manufacturing
- Metallurgy
- Oil drilling
- Mining tools
- Electronics and communications
- Construction
Market Demand:
- Increasing demand due to the development of downstream industries
- Advanced weaponry and equipment manufacturing
- Progress in cutting-edge scientific technology
- Rapid development of nuclear energy
- There will be a significant increase in the need for high-tech, high-quality, and stable hard alloy products.
Types of Hard Alloys
1. Tungsten-Cobalt Hard Alloy
- Kompozisyon: Mainly tungsten carbide (WC) and cobalt (Co) as a binder.
- Grade Designation: Indicated by “YG” followed by the percentage of cobalt content.
- Example: YG8 means the alloy contains approximately 8% cobalt and the rest is tungsten carbide.
- Uygulamalar: Primarily used for hard alloy tools, molds, and geological and mining products.
2. Tungsten-Titanium-Cobalt Hard Alloy
- Kompozisyon: Mainly tungsten carbide, titanium carbide (TiC), and cobalt.
- Grade Designation: Indicated by “YT” followed by the percentage of titanium carbide content.
- Example: YT15 means the alloy contains approximately 15% titanium carbide and the rest is tungsten carbide and cobalt.
- Uygulamalar: Suitable for applications requiring high wear resistance and cutting performance.
3. Tungsten-Titanium-Tantalum (Niobium) Hard Alloy
- Kompozisyon: Mainly tungsten carbide, titanium carbide, tantalum carbide (or niobium carbide), and cobalt.
- Other Name: Universal or general-purpose hard alloy.
- Grade Designation: Indicated by “YW” followed by a sequential number. Example: YW1.
- Uygulamalar: Versatile applications across various industries due to its comprehensive properties.
About Tungsten-Titanium-Cobalt Hard Alloy
- Tungsten-titanium-cobalt hard alloy, also known as cemented titanium-tungsten carbide, has a high resistance to crater wear, making it suitable for tools used in long-cutting processes. When using tungsten-cobalt hard alloy tools to cut steel, crater wear can easily occur. This is primarily due to a diffusion reaction between the tool and chips at cutting temperatures.
- To overcome crater wear when machining steel, hard alloys containing TiC (titanium carbide) and TaC (tantalum carbide) were developed in the early 1920s. Later, hard alloys containing both titanium carbide and tantalum carbide were also developed.
- In these alloys, the content of TiC and TaC depends on the severity of the crater wear, with TiC content reaching up to 35% and TaC up to 7%.
- These developments significantly improved the performance of cutting tools, providing enhanced wear resistance and durability in high-temperature machining environments.
