Tungsten-Iron Alloy

Improving Hardness and Wear Resistance

When tungsten-iron is added to steel during the steelmaking process, tungsten reacts with carbon in the steel to form hard carbides, such as WC (tungsten carbide). These carbides are evenly distributed in the steel matrix, significantly enhancing the hardness and wear resistance of the steel. For example, in the production of tool steel, the addition of tungsten-iron can increase the hardness of the tool steel by 2-3 times and greatly enhance its wear resistance. The service life of tools such as cutting tools and molds made from this steel can be extended several times, bringing significant economic value to industries such as metal processing.

Enhancing Red Hardness

Tungsten-iron also enhances the red hardness of steel. Red hardness refers to the ability of a material to maintain high hardness at high temperatures. High-speed steel tools containing tungsten-iron can still maintain high hardness even when the cutting temperature rises to 500-600°C during the cutting process, thus ensuring cutting performance. This makes them suitable for high-speed cutting and heavy cutting processes.

Manufacturing High-Temperature Alloys

Tungsten-iron is one of the important raw materials for high-temperature alloys. High-temperature alloys are used to manufacture components that operate in high-temperature environments, such as turbine blades in aero-engines and gas turbine blades. In these high-temperature alloys, tungsten can improve the high-temperature strength and anti-creep properties of the alloy. For example, in nickel-based high-temperature alloys, the addition of an appropriate amount of tungsten can increase the strength of the alloy by 30%-50% in high-temperature environments above 1000°C, and significantly enhance its anti-creep properties. This allows components to operate stably for extended periods under extreme conditions of high temperature and high pressure.

Manufacturing Cemented Carbides

In the field of cemented carbides, tungsten-iron plays a key role. Taking WC-Co (tungsten carbide-cobalt) cemented carbides as an example, tungsten carbide is the main hard phase. Tungsten-iron is added as a raw material to prepare tungsten carbide, which is then mixed with the binder cobalt, pressed, and sintered to form cemented carbides. These cemented carbides are widely used in mining tools (such as rock drill bits) and metal cutting tools (such as cemented carbide turning tools). Their hardness can reach HRA 89-92 (Rockwell hardness on the A scale), greatly improving the cutting and crushing efficiency of the tools.

Manufacturing Filaments and Other Electronic Components

In early electron tubes, tungsten-iron alloys or tungsten-containing materials were used to manufacture filaments. Tungsten’s high melting point allows it to withstand the high temperatures generated by electric current, enabling the filaments to emit light at high temperatures without easily breaking. Although electronic technology has continued to develop, tungsten-iron-related materials still have certain applications in some special electronic devices or components that require high-temperature heating, such as heating elements in certain high-temperature sensors.

Manufacturing Armor-Piercing Projectiles

In the military field, tungsten-iron is used to manufacture the core of armor-piercing projectiles. The high hardness and high density of tungsten give the projectile core strong armor-piercing capabilities. When colliding with a target, the tungsten-iron core can penetrate the target’s armor using its own hardness and kinetic energy. For example, in the production of armor-piercing projectiles for modern main battle tanks, tungsten-iron cores can effectively penetrate advanced protective equipment such as composite armor, causing significant damage to enemy targets.