Tungsten Carbide
Tungsten carbide is a compound made up of tungsten and carbon atoms in equal parts, forming a hard and dense material. It is a ceramic material with exceptional hardness and high resistance to wear, making it one of the hardest materials known.
The following table provides a comprehensive list of tungsten carbide properties in both SI and US customary/Imperial units at normal temperature and pressure (NTP).
Note: click on the button to switch between Metric and Imperial units.
| Physical Properties | Metric |
|---|---|
| Chemical Formula | WC |
| Molar Mass | 195.85 g/mol |
| Density | 15600 kg/m3 |
| Mechanical Properties | Metric |
| Young’s Modulus (E) | 530 - 700 GPa |
| Bulk Modulus (K) | 380 GPa |
| Shear Modulus (G) | 270 GPa |
| Tensile Strength (Ultimate) | 344 MPa |
| Compressive Strength (Ultimate) | 2700 MPa |
| Poisson’s Ratio (ν) | 0.31 |
| Mohs Hardness | 9.0 - 9.5 |
| Thermal Properties | Metric |
| Melting Point | 2785 °C |
| Thermal Conductivity | 121 W/m·K |
| Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (αL) | 6.9×10-6 1/°C |
| Electrical Properties | Metric |
| Magnetic Susceptibility | 0.00001 cm3/mol |
Note: unless stated otherwise, all values are taken at room temperature (approximately 20°C or 68°F) and 1 atm pressure. (1 atm = 101,325 Pa)
References: 1) Cardarelli, François. Materials Handbook: A Concise Desktop Reference. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 2018. 2) CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 97th Edition. United Kingdom: CRC Press, 2016-2017.