Is tungsten carbide harder than a diamond?
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No, absolutely it is not.
Many people know tungsten carbide because of its high hardness. However, they may not have an exact recognizance of the hardness of tungsten carbide. And some of them may ask, which tool material is harder? Tungsten carbide or diamond? Here, we can give you the answer that tungsten carbide is a very hard material, however, diamond is the hardest material in the world.
What is a diamond?
Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Diamond has the highest hardness and thermal conductivity of any natural material, properties that are used in major industrial applications such as cutting and polishing tools. They are also the reason that diamond anvil cells can subject materials to pressures found deep in the Earth.
The hardness of diamond
Minerals are assigned a number between 1 and 10 on the Mohs Hardness Scale to describe how resistant to scratching they are. Diamonds are given the highest number, a 10. There is nothing that can scratch a diamond except another diamond.
What is tungsten carbide?
Tungsten carbide is a gray powder with equal elements of tungsten and carbon. Only when tungsten carbide powder is compacted and sintered into certain tungsten carbide products, it can obtain high hardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, strength, and so on.
The hardness of tungsten carbide
The Mohs' hardness of tungsten carbide is around 9, which boasts a level of hardness second to diamond. It is the high hardness that makes tungsten carbide be used widely in mining, oil, gas, cutting, digging, tunneling, and even in the automobile and medical industries.
So why diamond is harder than tungsten carbide? I think this can be explained by the element carbon.
The structure of carbon extends in space and produces a rigid 3-D network of carbon atoms with directional covalent bonds throughout the lattice. It is very difficult to break extended covalent bonding. Carbon has 3 allotropes: diamond, graphite, and fullerene. Among these, diamond is the hardest allotrope of carbon because it is a strong and rigid three-dimensional structure.
In the structure of tungsten carbide, carbon atoms exist. However, the structure of tungsten carbide is not as strong as diamond. Although tungsten carbide is not the hardest tool material in the modern industry, its high hardness and cost efficiency win many users.
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Tungsten and diamond are two of the strongest known materials and therefore are commonly used for applications where durability is key. Diamond is harder overall, measuring a 10.0 on the Mohs hardness scale (the highest possible measurement, while tungsten falls between 7.5 and 9.0.
Despite this, tungsten may be preferable over diamond for some applications. Typically, this will be because tungsten is significantly cheaper than diamond. Overall though, both materials are highly resistant to scratches, warping, and breakage.
Tungsten
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Tungsten is a fairly rare, naturally occurring metal. Many of its alloys are naturally occurring, but many are also manufactured to produce specific desired characteristics. Tungsten has been used for industrial and electrical applications since the early twentieth century. Notably, this includes the use of tungsten as lightbulb filaments and as an important tooling material in WW2. However, more recently, the material has become popular for use in jewelry as more durable jewelry has fallen into demand.
Hardness
In the context of minerals, hardness describes how scratch resistant the material is. As mentioned, tungsten measures between 7.5 and 9.0 on the Mohs hardness scale. It is known as one of the strongest known naturally-occurring materials. However, while extremely strong and durable, tungsten is very brittle in its pure form. As such, while it is scratch resistant, it is also at risk of cracking or shattering. This is why tungsten alloys are typically used, as this can improve the overall toughness.
Characteristics
Other characteristics of tungsten in its raw form include:
Depending on the desired application, different tungsten alloys will be used or created to adjust the characteristics of the metal compared to its raw form. Common tungsten alloys include:
Although each alloy is popular for various uses, tungsten carbide is the most popular due to its durable nature.
Applications
The unique properties of tungsten mean that it is widely used for a variety of purposes. Its applications include:
Essentially a tungsten alloy may be used for virtually any application where a strong metal is needed.
Diamond
Diamond is a naturally occurring material that is composed of almost pure carbon and features atoms arranged into a crystal structure. However, they can also be made artificially. Diamonds have been used throughout history, with the earliest recorded discovery and use of them in BC in India. Diamonds continued to be valued for their strength and beauty, and are commonly used today in engagement and wedding rings.
Hardness
Diamond is the hardest naturally occurring material, with a measurement of 10.0 on the Mohs hardness scale. While harder materials have been artificially developed, diamond is still a valued and plentiful resource. A diamond is so hard that the only naturally occurring mineral that can scratch a diamond is another diamond.
Characteristics
Diamonds have many unique characteristics beyond their incredible hardness. These characteristics include:
The appearance and individual features of diamonds can vary widely. As such, while diamonds are prized for their use in jewelry, few are considered gemstone quality. Only approximately 30% of diamonds mined worldwide are considered gemstone quality. The gemstone quality and value of a diamond are determined by the four Cs: cut, color, clarity, and carat weight.
Applications
Because of their hardness, prevalence, and pleasing appearance when cut, diamonds are used for a wide variety of applications worldwide. These applications include:
Like tungsten, diamond is widely used for applications that require extremely hard materials to complete effectively.
Tungsten Carbide vs Diamond
Tungsten carbide is an alloy composed of equal parts tungsten and carbon. This alloy was developed to reduce the brittle nature of pure tungsten and improve its durability. Not only does this combination improve the efficacy of tungsten in industrial settings, but it also extends the lifespan of tungsten products. It can significantly increase the value as the products are less likely to break prematurely.
Due to these benefits, tungsten carbide is widely considered a particularly valuable tungsten alloy. In terms of its use in jewelry, this benefit is evident in how difficult it is to crack or shatter products such as rings, which may experience significant wear and tear from daily use.
While tungsten carbide is more durable than raw tungsten, it still has a lower hardness compared to diamond.
While the hardness of tungsten and diamond makes them highly useful in many contexts, that can be a drawback as well. For example, while tungsten carbide can make for a highly durable ring, it also creates limitations in terms of adjustment and resizing. Tungsten carbide is too hard to allow for resizing.
However, in comparison to diamonds, tungsten carbide is often more ethically sourced, environmentally friendly, and more low-maintenance. When comparing these factors, you must consider which is most important to you and your needs.
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