finding

better
ways

Kennametal
specialty carbide
products

experience, quality, and performance

introduction
to Kennametal:

Kennametal has been manufacturing

tungsten carbide specialty products
for non-metalcutting applications since
1940 over 50 years. Our years of
experience have allowed us to develop
manufacturing processes so that we
can make the highest quality parts for
the most severe wear, impact, and
corrosive applications.
Kennametal tungsten carbides and
Kentanium titanium carbide possess
unique engineering properties that
make them ideal for countless industrial
applications. In addition to being more
durable, they are often more economical
than other materials. They are used for
parts that must withstand deflection,
deformation, extremes of wear (including abrasions, erosion, and galling),
impact, corrosion-wear, heavy loading,
and high temperatures. In many applications, they provide reliable and long
term service where other materials
quickly fail.
Kennametal tungsten carbides often
outlast tool steel and many other wear
materials by as much as 100 to 1.
Unlike some carbide manufacturers,
Kennametal makes its own powders
from the raw materials, assuring the
highest quality tungsten carbide from
start to finish. This maximizes performance for the end user.
Kennametals submicron grained
grades have a much finer and more
uniform grain structure than competitive
submicron grades. This results in higher
hardness for Kennametal submicron
grades versus those of other carbide
suppliers. The high hardness improves
wear resistance, while the more uniform
grain structure improves strength and
toughness.
Kennametal has a modern manufacturing facilities with state-of-the-art
CAD/CAM. This design/manufacturing
combination enables us to manufacture
parts having greater uniformity and
consistancy.

Kennametal, the block style K, finding better ways,

Kentanium, K96, K3833, K94, K3109, K92, K91,
K3520, K90, KF306, KF310, KF315, K84, K801,
K701, K714, K162B, KZ84, KZ, KZ96, KZ94,
and Keziz are trademarks of Kennametal Inc.
and are used as such herein. Copyright 1995
by Kennametal Inc., Latrobe, PA 15650. All
rights reserved.

What does Kennametal

have to offer?
High quality parts from Kennametal
made powder.
A wide variety of grades, including
special grades for corrosion resistance, high temperatures, and very
high abrasion resistance.
A variety of shapes.
Application and design engineering
services.
Ability to produce complex parts.
Metallurgical and failure analysis
services.
Carbide grade development support.
Custom made parts to your
specifications.
Hot isostatic pressing (hipping)
capabilities for ultimate quality and
performance.
Annual blanket order stocking
capabilities.
At Kennametal, just being good
isnt good enough. Our people, our
processes, and our close attention to
detail provide you, our customers,
with the highest quality and best
performance in the carbide industry.

manufacturing

the properties
of Kennametal
tungsten carbide

Kennametal tungsten carbide and

Kentanium (titanium carbide) are produced by powder metallurgy methods.
The carbide powders are mixed with
a binder, which is normally cobalt,
although other binders are also used.
The powder is compacted under
high pressure to form a part with chalklike consistency. Pressing may be
done in a hydraulic press for smaller
symmetrical parts. Larger parts are
formed into slugs of carbide by
hydrostatic pressure.
By whichever of the two methods the
carbide has been compacted, it is still
very soft at this stage and is sometimes
referred to as green. To make it
stronger and to facilitate production
handling, the carbide is sometimes
partially sintered or presintered.
The presintered or green part can
then be shaped by conventional
methods of turning, drilling, milling, or
grinding to a near net shape.
The carbide preform is then vacuum
sintered generally between 2,500F
to 2,800F. Sintering shrinks the
carbide shape by about 20% in linear
measurement, and approximately 50%
by volume.
Precision made sintered parts can
be made to a tolerance of plus or minus
0.8% of the dimension or plus or minus
0.005", whichever is greater. The surface finish of an as-sintered part will
be about 50 to 80 microinches.
Kennametal plants can manufacture
tungsten carbide parts up to 14" in
length and up to 7" in diameter. As
indicated on the properties chart,
Kennametal has a wide variety of
carbide grades including fine, medium,
and coarse grained tungsten carbides
with cobalt binders, submicron grained
cobalt binder grades, a nickel binder
grade and two chrome-cobalt binder
grades for corrosion resistance, a
gall resistant grade, and a titanium
carbide grade.

Tungsten carbides unique properties

include high hardness at room and
elevated temperatures, high abrasion
or wear resistance, high modulus of
elasticity, high compressive strength
(much higher than its tensile strength),
and low thermal expansion rate. The
major properties of tungsten carbide
compared to steel are shown in the
properties chart on pages 8 and 9.

the fracture toughness (a measure of

crack initiation and crack propagation).
More binder and/or coarser grains will
generally increase the transverse rupture strength, the impact strength, and
the fracture toughness. With submicron
grained grades, the transverse rupture
actually goes up, but impact strength
and the fracture toughness decreases
when compared to coarser grained
grades of equal cobalt content.

hardness
Hardness is determined by the percentage of binder and the grain size of
the tungsten carbide particles. Generally,
the more binder the lower the hardness,
and the coarser the grains the lower
the hardness.

wear resistance
The abrasion or wear resistance of
tungsten carbide can be measured with
a dry sand, wet sand, or a metal-to-metal
test. With more binder or coarser grains,
(lower hardness), the wear or abrasion
resistance will be less. However, there
will be an increase in strength. It is
always necessary to balance high hardness/high wear resistance with lower
hardness/high strength.
Some of the properties described
here are shown in the graph below:

strength
The amount of binder and the variation
in grain size will also effect the transverse rupture strength (a standard
three point loading bend test); the
impact strength (a shock load); and

relative properties of Kennametal carbide with various cobalt percentages

hardness (HRA)
modulus of rigidity (psi)

transverse rupture
strength (psi)
impact resistance

(in-lbs/in2)

% cobalt 5

10

15

20

25

This simplified chart shows the basic effect of binder content on four
principle properties (for tungsten carbide-cobalt grades only) and does
not take into account changes in tungsten carbide grain size.

the properties of Kennametal

tungsten carbide (continued)

hot isostatic pressing

Tungsten carbide is a non-ductile
material, meaning that when fracture
occurs it is without significant plastic
flow. Because of its powder metallurgy
nature, tungsten carbide exhibits a
larger scatter of fracture stresses in
comparison to ductile materials. In
addition, stress levels are also affected
by part size, shape, loading, and stress
state (tensile, compressive, bending,
torsion). The design of components
made from tungsten carbide must be
approached from a statistical strength
theory. Please contact Kennametal Inc.
for details.
During slugging or pressing, the very
hard carbide particles will not deform
and may bridge, causing very small
pits. These are stress risers which
reduce the overall strength of the
carbide. Most of these close up during
sintering as the cobalt flows around
the carbide grains, but occasionally
some do not close.
To remove all these micro pits,
and improve the fracture toughness,
Kennametal developed a hot isostatic
pressing process code named Keziz
during development. This process
simultaneously applies heat near the
sintering temperature and isostatic
pressure (via an inert gas) to the tungsten carbide component in a Keziz
(H.I.P.) furnace. The combination of
heat and pressure closes all of these
small pits.

Keziz (H.I.P.) furnace

The chart below shows the results

of Kennametals Keziz (hot isostatic
pressing H.I.P.) process. Note that
there is significant improvement at the
95% reliability level and a significant
reduction in the scatter.
conventional versus Keziz
processed parts
transverse rupture strength
(1,000 pounds per in2)
400

conventional
269 average

Keziz
329 average

350

300

250
95%
(reliability
level)
200

95%
(reliability
level)

150

In addition to an improvement in
strength, Keziz used before final grinding
will close up virtually all voids so that the
ground and highly polished finished part
will have a pit-free surface. This is a
requirement in many applications such
as finish draw-wipe punches, two-piece
can tooling, some plungers, pump
pistons, valve parts, and seal rings.

corrosion
Use of sintered hard carbides for wear
resistant components such as seal
rings, valves, nozzles and bearings,
has become quite common. In some
processing operations, the environment
necessarily includes severe corrosion
or extremes of temperature.
Kennametal tungsten carbide and
Kentanium titanium carbide can be used
to great advantage in many corrosive
situations where excellent wear resistance is required.
When selecting the correct grade of
carbide for use under corrosive conditions, the process of carbide corrosion
must be considered. Carbides consist

of finely divided carbide grains held

together in a skeletal structure by binder
materials such as cobalt, chromiumcobalt, nickel, or nickel-molybdenum.
When carbide corrosion occurs, it is
usually only the binder material which
corrodes. Therefore, it is necessary to
consider the corrosive compatibility of
the binder and the corrosive media.
When carbides corrode, the binder is
generally dissolved from the surface of
the material leaving the weak skeletal
surface structure of the carbide grains.
The grains, having little support, quickly
break away. The result is a pitted surface which becomes dull in appearance
when the surface is severely corroded.
Stress concentrations caused by severe
pitting reduce the strength of the carbide.
The amount and rate of corrosion may
change considerably with changes in
such factors as concentration and
temperature of the corrosive fluid and
exposure time of the fluid to the carbide.
The most accurate way to select a
carbide grade is to test the grade under
the actual corrosive conditions in
which the carbide will be used. Contact
Kennametal Inc. for assistance in
selecting appropriate grades for testing.
The use of carbides for their corrosion
resistance alone is sometimes difficult to
justify. However, when abrasion is also
involved, then the combined corrosion
and wear resistance of Kennametal
products result in superior performance
for the application.

cryogenic temperatures
Both laboratory tests and application
experience demonstrate that Kennametal
carbide and Kentanium have properties
that make them suitable for use in the
cryogenic temperature range (236F. to
absolute zero).
When used in cryogenic ranges,
metals sometimes exhibit unusual
properties. Some become extremely
brittle at these temperatures, while
others retain their strength and actually
become stronger. Carbides, which are
basically nonductile materials, retain
their strength properties to a degree
that varies with the type of carbide.
Generally speaking, when reduced from
room temperatures to the cryogenic
range, Kennametal tungsten carbide
maintains the same or slightly higher
transverse rupture strengths. Kentanium
titanium carbide strength levels are
the same or lower at cryogenic

attachment methods

temperatures. Impact strength of

Kennametal grades is about the same,
while Kentanium grades are about 20%
lower in impact strength at cryogenic
temperatures.
One of the considerations when
designing carbide parts to be used in
cryogenic temperatures is the coefficient
of thermal expansion. At room temperatures, the coefficient of thermal expansion for carbide is much less than for
other materials, such as steel.

high temperatures
Kennametal and Kentanium retain most
of their strength at elevated temperatures. At temperatures to 600F., they
are almost completely resistant to
oxidation.
The oxides of Kennametal tungsten
carbide are in powder or flake form and
are easily removed. This oxidation does
not become serious until the temperature
approaches 1000F. Beyond this temperature, oxidation is too severe for most
applications. For temperatures of 1000F.
to 1600F., Kentanium (titanium carbide)
has much more suitable properties.
When designing high temperature
equipment in which carbides are used,
the low coefficient of thermal expansion
of the carbide must be considered. Over
the range of room temperatures to
1200F the coefficient of thermal expansion of carbides is only about one-third
that of steel. In some applications, the
low thermal expansion of Kennametal
tungsten carbide and Kentanium is a
distinct advantage. However, this property must be given careful consideration,
particularly when attaching Kennametal
tungsten carbide or Kentanium titanium
carbide to other materials.

Fastening of carbides may be accomplished by brazing, cementing, and

mechanically mounting. (Carbides
cannot be fastened by conventional
welding methods.)
Both brazing and cementing have
limitations. Brazing can be used only
under certain conditions, because of
the temperature problem involved in
assembly. Cementing is limited by a
narrow operating temperature range.
Mechanical mounting overcomes
both of these difficulties. In many cases,

it provides the most desirable design

advantages.
Mechanical mounting includes clamp
mounting, wedge mounting, dove
mounting, screw mounting, tapped
hole, threading pins, and interference
or shrink fits.
Since tungsten carbide is too hard
and brittle to tap directly, tapped holes
may be produced by brazing a steel or
tungsten alloy plug into the carbide
and then drilling and tapping the plug.

mechanically held die and wear part sections

tungsten
carbide
steel or tungsten
alloy plug

screw
size

A
minimum insert
diameter

D
minimum insert
depth

C
minimum wall
thickness

B
minimum section
width

#5
#8
#10
#12
1
4
5
16
3
8
7
16
1
2
9
16
5
8
3
4

.187
.250
.250
.312
.375
.437
.500
.625
.625
.750
.750
1.000

.187
.250
.312
.375
.375
.375
.437
.437
.437
.500
.625
.750

.062
.062
.093
.093
.093
.125
.125
.125
.187
.187
.187
.250

.312
.375
.437
.500
.562
.687
.750
.875
1.000
1.125
1.125
1.500

suggested minimum brazed-in insert size (inches) for holding screw-in carbide die and
wear part sections

Photomicrograph showing corrosion of

cobalt binder.

attachment methods (continued)

shrink fit mounting

A highly reliable and preferred method
of mounting round sections of carbide in
steel is to size the members to provide
for an interference fit.
The high compressive strength of
carbide makes it well suited to the
compressive loading encountered with
shrinking.
In shrink joint design, the amount of
interference depends entirely on the
requirements of the application. The
assembly should have sufficient holding
ability and safe operating stress values
in the outer member.
One operating condition (i.e., heading
dies) requires the maximum amount of
interference and compressive loading
on the carbide member in order to eliminate stress reversals when the carbide
member is operated as a cylinder with
high pulsating internal pressures.
On the other hand, a much smaller
interference may be adequate in the
design of a shrink joint to transmit a
given amount of torque. In this case, the
joint may be conveniently assembled
at 300F. to 400F. This temperature is
equal to the draw temperature for many
heat treated steels, enabling the full
hardness of the steel member to be
utilized. The shrink fit joint theory must
be used in calculating the stress and
deflection in a shrink joint design.
The difference in the coefficient of
thermal expansion in excess of 2 to 1
between steel and carbide is often an

advantage in allowing for convenient

disassembly of the joint. In applications
involving operation at elevated temperatures, the difference in the coefficient
of thermal expansion will cause a
decrease in the effective amount of
interference and must be considered
in the design of the joint. The change
in shrink pressure should also be considered in the design of a joint which is
subjected to high centrifugal forces.
The magnitude of the shrink fit or
unit pressure and the tangential stress
produced by it can be calculated from
Lams formulas.

#50 American
Std. Taper

1
334

834
1

A.I.S.I. 8620 Steel

Case Harden 62 HRS

shrink allowance guidelines for a

carbide cylinder mounted inside a
steel ring
OD of
Kennametal
carbide

carbide

2-34
4-1
1-114
114-112
112-2
2-212
212-3
3-312
312-4
4-5
5-6
6-7
3

abc

steel

P
ES
EC
S
C

Diametral Interference
Pressure Between Cylinders
Modulus of Elasticity of Steel
Modulus of Elasticity of Carbide
Poissons Ratio of Steel
Poissons Ratio of Carbide

Larger Chamfer to Reduce

Stress Concentration
.003 Interference
on Diameter
375F Max. Shrink
Temp. Torsional Joint
Strength 7300 Ft. Lb.

Shrink allowances listed below are

general guidelines which show that
different interferences are needed for
different types of applications. Actual
calculations with Lams formulas
(listed above) are much preferred over
the guidelines. Individual calculations
should be performed when any new or
unusual design is employed (i.e. thin
walled cylinders, complex geometry,
operation at elevated temperatures,
and high internal pressure on the
carbide die).

If a steel ring is to be shrunk on a

solid carbide cylinder, the diametral
interference can be calculated by
considering a to equal zero in the
above formula. In the design shown
above, the tangential stress at the inner
surface of the steel due to shrink is:

The maximum compressive prestress at the inner surface of carbide,

due to shrink, is:

high (1)
diametral
interference

medium (2)
diametral
interference

0.003
0.004
0.006
0.007
0.009
0.011
0.014
0.016
0.019
0.023
0.028
0.033

0.0020
0.0025
0.0035
0.0040
0.0050
0.0070
0.0080
0.0100
0.0110
0.0140
0.0165
0.0200

High interferences must be used for

heavy backward extrusion or heading
die applications as noted in column (1).
In practice, interference fits higher than
the guidelines in column (1) are often
used, but only with actual stress calculations and production experience.
Medium diametral interferences listed
in column (2) are used in applications
where the carbide cylinder is subjected
to moderate internal pressure. Compressive pre-stress applied to the
carbide by the interference fit should
be large enough to keep the carbide in
a compressive stress state during the
working cycle and not allow it to become
tensile. A heavy walled steel outer
cylinder and medium walled carbide
cylinder were used to determine the
interferences.

finishing

brazing
Brazing was the first successful method
of mounting carbides to steel or other
base alloys. This method is still quite
satisfactory for small-area, short-length
joints and, through the use of certain
design principles, can be applied
satisfactorily to larger joints.
Kennametal tungsten base carbides
are readily wetted by brazing alloys
ranging from silver solder to pure
copper. However, Kentanium, our
titanium based carbide K162B is
difficult to wet.
Thermal expansion rates of tungsten
carbide vary from one-third to one-half
of that of steel and must be taken into
account when brazing. Thermal stresses
from brazing may be reduced by using
a copper shim (sandwich braze). The
copper shim deforms during the cooling cycle relieving the stresses.
A braze thickness of 0.002" to 0.005"
is ieal, since strengths over 100,000 psi
can be achieved in this range. A thinner
braze may over stress the joint, while
thicker joints reduce the strength. At
about 0.020" the braze strength is near
that of the braze material itself.
types of brazing alloys
Easy Flo3, BR495, Trimet 104, and
Trimet 245. All are available from
Lucas, Milhaupt, A Handy and Harman
Company, Cudahy, WI.

sandwich braze
Carbide
Silver
Solder
Copper
Shim
Silver
Solder

cementing
Use of Kennametal tungsten carbide
for wear-resistant applications has
greatly increased with recent development of epoxy resins for metal-to-metal
bonding. For years, there had been a
need for an adhesive with sufficient
strength and a low enough bonding
temperature to reduce the thermal strain
created by bonding hard carbides to
other metals. With epoxy-resin type
adhesives, it is now possible to apply
Kennametal tungsten carbide in one
piece to much larger areas, primarily
due to the low curing temperatures. Two
limitations of application are operating
temperature (strength drops rapidly
above 250F.) and shear strength (up
to 7,000 psi for epoxy compared to
35,000 psi and up for brazing).
types of adhesives
All of these are in the metal-to-metal
classification:
a. Room temperature setting (68 to
85F.) Epoxi-Patch #907, Hysol
Corporation, Olean, New York.
b. Intermediate temperature setting
(85 to 250F.) EC2216, Minnesota
Mining & Mfg. Co., St. Paul,
Minnesota.
c. Elevated temperature setting (above
250F.) EC-2086, Minnesota Mining
& Mfg. Co., St. Paul, Minnesota.
Some adhesives require the addition
of a hardening agent, often referred
to as a catalyst or activator. Others
require only heat to obtain the bond.
Following are examples of both.
Chemical activated
Epoxi-Patch #907
Heat activated EC2086
Chemical and heat activated EC2216

Kennametal tungsten carbide and

Kentanium titanium carbide parts can
be finished to the desired shape, size,
flatness, and surface finish by diamond
wheel grinding, diamond lapping or
polishing, and by electrical discharge
machining (EDM).
The natural surface of carbide after
sintering is frosty gray and can have
surface irregularities several thousandths of an inch deep. This assintered surface of 50-80 microinch
finish can be ground to an 18 microinch finish. Additional grinding and
polishing can be used to achieve a
finish of 1-2 microinches.
Resinoid bonded diamond wheels
are recommended. A wheel speed of
5000 feet per minute, and infeeds of
less than .001" per pass for rough
grinding, and less than .0005" for finish
grinding should be used.
EDM is used where intricate forms
are required. Proper grinding and EDM
techniques are required to prevent
thermal cracks which can be initiated
by these two finishing methods.
At least .005" of stock should be
removed from an EDM machined part
by grinding or polishing to insure
surface cracks have been removed.

Steel
Shank

Cordex coordinate measuring system for

dimensional inspection

properties of Kennametal tungsten carbide grades and Kentanium titanium carbide

Kennametal
grade
series

grade

K96

thermal
Btu/hr ft F

g/cm3

lb/in3

212F

842F

electrical
% of
copper
standard

Btu/
lb F

room
temp
to 320F

room
temp
to 200F

room
room
room
temp
temp
temp
to 400F to 750F to 1200F

14.85

.54

57.8

44.5

7.8

.050

1.9

2.0

2.5

2.8

3.0

K3833

11.0

Co

14.40

.52

8.4

3.0

K94

11.5

Co

14.20

.51

53.0

37.5

9.4

.051

2.2

2.5

2.9

3.2

3.4

K3109

12.1

Co

14.20

.51

56.6

45.0

10.7

.050

3.0

3.3

3.4

K92

15.7

Co

13.80

.50

42.8

37.2

9.2

.053

3.0

3.3

3.6

K91

19.5

Co

13.40

.48

10.1

.058

3.4

3.6

3.8

K3520

20.0

Co

13.45

.48

K90

24.8

Co

12.80

.46

8.7

.061

2.8

3.0

3.5

3.9

4.1

KF306

6.0

Co

14.95

.54

KF310

10.0

Co

14.50

.52

KF315

15.0

Co

13.90

.50

K84

10.3

Co

12.90

.47

30.7

26.6

4.7

.056

3.2

3.5

3.7

K801

6.3

Ni

14.85

.54

47.4

38.7

8.3

.052

1.8

2.2

2.7

2.9

3.1

K701

14.2

Cr-Co

13.80

.50

31.2

29.7

5.3

.055

2.2

2.4

3.1

3.4

3.6

K714

6.9

Cr-Co

13.25

.48

4.5

2.0

2.1

2.2

titanium
carbide

K162B

Ni-Mo

6.15

.22

11.1

13.1

2.2

.12

2.1

2.4

3.7

4.3

4.6

carbon
steel

AISI
C10XX

7.8

.28

27.1

10.0

.10

7.0

7.4

7.6

tool steel

AISI
T-series

8.7

.31

14.5

4.0

6.6

6.8

6.9

stainless
steel

300
series

8.0

.29

9.4

2.3

.12

9.4

10.1

10.5

gall resistant
grade

reference
materials

type

mean coefficient of themal expansion x 106 in/in/F

density

Co

submicron
grades

Kentanium

%
binder

specific
weight

5.5

punch,
die, and
wear grades

corrosionwear
resistant
grades

specific
heat

conductivity

Ni binder
Cr-Co
binder

Numbers and descriptions are keyed to table headings above.

1Percent

binder is the nominal

percentage of cobalt (most common
binder). Other metallic binders are
also used.

4tungsten

load

1/2" cylinder

.200 x .200

2Transverse

rupture strength is the

computed maximum normal stress
in the extreme fiber at failure of a carbide beam loaded midway between two
supports as illustrated below. Because
of the difficulty in making accurate tensile tests, it is used as the standard
strength value in the industry and represents the bending strength of
Kennametal tungsten carbide.
The high transverse rupture strength
of Kennametal tungsten
carbide, set forth in the table, is affected by size. It decreases as the size
increases, therefore a larger safety
factor must be allowed in
calculating the stresses in bending
of a component.

9/16"

pounds load at
rupture x 105.5 =
transverse rupture
strength (psi)

10 mm. balls

3Modulus

of elasticity is determined
by the resonance method which
is used by the National Bureau of
Standards. A specimen is electronically vibrated at its natural frequency
which is electronically detected and
recorded. The flexural modulus is calculated from the formulas of vibration.
Compressive strength of Kennametal

carbide is higher than for virtually all melted and cast or forged
metals and alloys. This property is of
great value in rolling mill rolls, rams
for pressing metal and ceramic powders, and components for ultra-high
pressure equipment used to make
diamonds.
Compressive strength values are
determined by pressing a right circular cylindrical sample between two
Kennametal tungsten carbide blocks
held in alignment by an outer sleeve
assembly. The strength is calculated
as load per unit area at failure.

Relative impact strength of

Kennametal tungsten carbide is
5determined by dropping a standard
weight on the free end of a test
specimen which is held in a
cantilever beam fashion.

transverse rupture
2 strength

hardness

Rockwell
A

7
fracture endurance
4
modulus of
abrasion
toughness
5
elasticity compressive Poissons
limit
resistance
ASTM
90% (resonance strength
ratio
relative
(rotating
mean reliability method)
factor
B771-87
(resonance impact
beam)
method) resistance
1
x 103 psi
x 103 psi x 103 psi x 106 psi
x 103 psi
MPa!m
w (108 cycles) vol loss

hot
hot
hardness compressive modulus of
at
yield
rigidity
1400F
strength
psi
at 1600F
Rockwell
A

x 103 psi

x 106 psi

grade

industry
C
Code

92.1

300

225

91.6

765

.21

29

10.2

116

165

84.0

250

37.8

K96

C9/C10

89.4

430

355

81.3

705

.28

100

95

80.5

31.1

K3833

C11/C13

89.8

410

325

79.6

720

.28

57

12.7

120

140

80.0

120

31.0

K94

C10/C12

88.0

430

365

82.2

635

.28

100

14.0

104

80

70.8

125

32.0

K3109

C11/C14

88.4

475

410

74.9

670

.27

82

12.9

121

65

77.7

100

29.4

K92

C11/C13

86.8

440

380

69.5

605

.26

89

15.3

113

45

66.4

60

27.6

K91

C11/C14

84.2

440

410

70.3

530

.23

100

16.9

74.6

28.6

K3520

C14

84.8

430

355

64.5

505

.27

71

15.5

111

35

64.8

25.4

K90

C14

93.3

390

320

850

8.5

KF306

C9

92.2

500

450

790

11.1

KF310

C10/C12

90.4

550

470

660

KF315

C11/C13

91.0

330

260

72.2

760

.24

50

11.3

110

60

77.5

200

29.2

K84

C10

90.7

315

230

89.6

765

.25

25

110

78.6

36.0

K801

C9

92.0

160

120

77.3

.24

825

86.7

31.1

K701

C9

92.8

260

185

80.4

870

.20

21

6.5

380

83.9

33.5

K714

C9

89.5

235

150

59.0

590

.24

20

10.6

85

20

74.0

175

23.8

K162B

C9

29-30

80-100

.29-.30

188

40-90

11.5

AISI
C10XX

84
(HRC 65)

29-30

250-300

.29-.30

125
(HRC 65)

14

HRC 43
(1200F.)

11.5

AISI
T-series

To
HRC 23

28-29

.29-.30

80
(HRB 41)

13

11.2

300
series

*ASTM B771-87

The height of fall at which the specimen breaks is recorded for each
grade. The grade with the most
impact strength (grade K3109) has
been given a value of 100, and each
of the other grades are listed as a
percentage of this value.
Impact strength information on
cemented carbides should basically
be used for making comparisons of
the behavior expected of various
grades when subjected to shock loads.
6

Endurance limits of Kennametal

tungsten carbide are comparable to,
and sometimes higher than, those of
carbon and alloy steels and therefore
possess ample fatigue strength for
alternately stressed parts. Values are
established by the reverse bending
rotating beam method.

Dry abrasion resistance of

Kennametal tungsten carbide is very
much higher than that of wear-resistant tool steels. Kentanium is equal
to tool steels or higher. Abrasion
resistance factor is the reciprocal
of volume lost in a 30-minute test in
which a flow of silica sand is rubbed
against the specimen by a rubber
wheel. This test provides a quantitative abrasive wear resistance factor.

Tensile strength of Kennametal

tungsten carbide is diffficult to accurately determine by the conventional
test method because of the additional

stresses produced in the test specimen

due to misalignment and clamping.
Tensile strength of Kennametal tungsten
carbide is about 45% to 50% of its
transverse rupture strength.
A new test can now be used to obtain
more reliable data for the tensile strength
of Kennametal tungsten carbide. In this
test, thin ring specimens 2 in. OD x 1.9
in. ID x .5 in. are subjected to internal
hydraulic pressure.
It should be noted, however, that the
effect of size must be considered in
estimating the tensile strength of a
large component.

industry code
C-9
C-10
C-11

wear applications
wear surfaceno shock
wear surfacelight shock
wear surfaceheavy shock

C-12
C-13
C-14

impact applications
impactlight
impactmedium
impactheavy

Kennametal metalforming products

Kennametal metalforming applications chart

grade

applications

K96

Draw dies, powder compacting dies, tube fin rolls, sendzimer mill rolls (KZ96).

K3833

Backward extrusion punches, compressive stress > 300,000 psi, or L:D>7:1, extrusion dies, blanking
dies, draw wipe punches, core rods for powder compacting, lamination dies for silicon and stainless steels.

K94

Backward or forward extrusion dies (light impact), light blanking dies, sizing dies, tube mill rolls,
burnishing rolls (KZ94).

K3109

Backward extrusion punches, hot forming punches, heading punches, high impact extrusion dies, trapped
extrusion dies, flattening dies, swaging dies, heavy blanking dies, nail gripper dies, tube mill sizing rolls,
hot and cold forming rolls.

K92

Backward or forward extrusion dies, medium impact blanking dies, piercing punches.

K91

Backward or forward extrusion dies, (heavy impact), heading dies, heavy piercing punches.

K3520

Used in hot and cold metalforming applications where very severe shock loads are applied such as:
heading dies (severe impact), hot forming dies, swaging dies, hex dies, trapped extrusion dies, very
heavy blanking dies, shears and cutoff dies.

K90

For heavy metalforming applications such as: heading dies, trapped extrusion dies, heavy blanking dies,
and very heavy piercing punches.

KF306

Used in high abrasion, high wear applications for: light draw dies, fine blanking dies, fine wire draw dies,
compacting dies, high pressure dies.

KF310

Medium to heavy draw dies, light blanking dies, forward or backward extrusion dies (light impact),
compacting dies.

KF315

Used in backward or forward dies for medium impact, medium blanking dies, coining dies.

K84

Draw dies and deep draw dies for non-galling applications, can ironing dies, burnishing pins (KZ84)
saw tips for metalcutting saws.

Kennametal Inc. specializes in the

design and production of unground
tungsten carbide backward extrusion
punches and dies for hot and cold
forming of steel. We also manufacture
similar products for heading, forward
extrusion, deep drawing, compacting,
swaging, blanking and piercing.
Key grades are described below.
Applications are listed on the accompanying chart.
The K3109 grade is the standard
in the carbide industry for backward
extrusion metalforming punches. The
K3109 grade combines excellent
transverse strength with the highest
impact strength and excellent fracture
toughness. It is our primary grade for
backward extrusion punches.

10

The K3833 grade is also used for

back extrusion punches since it has
nearly the same impact resistance
as grade K3109. The K3833 grades
slightly finer grain structure and lower
cobalt content provides additional
resistance to deformation when extrusion pressures go above 300,000 psi.
Its higher elastic modulus provides
greater resistance to deflection, or
bending, when the length to diameter
ratio (L:D) is greater than 7:1. The
K3833 grade has slightly less fracture
toughness than the K3109 grade but
better abrasion resistance.
The K3520 grade is a 20% cobalt
binder grade with very coarse grains.
It has the highest impact strength and
the highest fracture toughness of all
our grades. It has excellent thermal
shock resistance, and is used for the
most severe metal-forming die applications for both hot and cold forming.

Compared to tool steel, Kennametal

tungsten carbide grades provide more
gall resistance (resistance to pick-up
of the workpiece material). For special
applications, the K84 grade provides
the ultimate in gall resistance due to its
titanium carbide additives.
Any of the metalforming grades can
be hot isostatic pressed or hipped
(Kennametal trade name Keziz denoted
by a KZ in the grade name). Hipping
improves the average transverse
rupture strength and also the surface
integrity that can be obtained after final
grinding, by eliminating all micropits.
This is particularly useful in a highly
stressed toolwhere even a small pit
on the surface cannot be tolerated.

proven uses

K3109 grade
metalforming punch

K3109 grade
swaging mandrel

K3109 grade
backward extrusion punch

K3520 grade heavy

backward extrusion die

K92 grade
rocker arm die

K3520 grade
swaging die
used to hot swage
or form steel chisels,
tools, tubing, rod...to size

11

Kennametal
fluid handling
products
Kennametal has a broad selection of
tungsten carbide grades and a titanium
carbide grade to solve almost any fluid
handling problem. The superior performance characteristics in abrasion and
corrosion resistance are the hallmark
of Kennametal fluid handling products.
Material properties of high strength
and rigidity enable more compact
designs with less distortion or deflection
under load. In addition, thermal conductivity is two to three times greater
than steel, so heat is removed quickly
from the wear surface.
Kennametal tungsten carbide has a
low static coefficient of friction when
run against itself or carbon-graphite
which is in the .16 to .20 range on
unlubricated surfaces, and .08 to .10
when lubricated with mineral oil. Against
steel, the unlubricated coefficient is .23
to .26, and lubricated is .16 to .19.
Seal ring finishes of 1 to 2 microinches
and flatness of 2 to 3 lightbands are
common. Mating rings of other materials, such as carbon graphite, have a
much longer service life when running
against finely finished Kennametal
rings. Kennametal tungsten carbide
has exceptional heat-checking and
thermal-shock resistance.
Kennametal tungsten carbide grades
can be used to 1000F. in oxidizing
conditions, and up to 1400F. in nonoxidizing conditions. Kentanium K162B
grade, a titanium carbide grade, can be
used at continuous operating temperatures of 1600F. All Kennametal grades
can be used in cryogenic temperatures
in the -236F. to -435F. range.
The K701 grade is a tungsten carbide
with chromium-cobalt binder. It provides
maximum abrasive wear resistance
and excellent corrosion resistance.
The K714 grade is also a chromiumcobalt binder tungsten carbide similar
to the K701 grade. The K714 grade is
used in similar corrosive applications
since its corrosion resistance reaches
near to that of the K701 grade, but it can
easily be brazed, while the K701 grade
is difficult to braze. The K714 grade has
lower wear resistance than the K701
grade but has much improved strength.
The K801 grade is the strongest of
the corrosion-wear series but has less
wear resistance than the other grades.
It has a nickel binder for improved corrosion resistance over the normal cobalt
binder grades. In addition, K801 grade
has proven to be a better choice for

12

components in salt water and where

electrolytic attack of the binder may
occur, such as when immersed in mineralized or boiler feed water.
The K162B grade is a titanium carbide
grade with a nickel-molybdenum
binder. K162B grade has the greatest
resistance to oxidation in the 1000F. to
1400F. range, but it can be used at
higher temperatures up to 1600F. It

has a very high stiffness to weight ratio.

It retains its toughness and impact
strength at cryogenic temperatures of
-236F. to -453F. It is also used for
applications where lightweight, rapidly
moving wear parts are required.
The K96 grade is second only to grade
KF306 in metal-to-metal wear resistance.
Being slightly coarser in grain structure,
but still in the fine grain category,

Kennametal fluid handling products applications chart

grade

applications

K96

Used for bearings, seal rings, wear pads, nozzles, valve

and pump parts for use in: fresh water, crude oil, and
petroleum products.

K94

For use in valve parts and nozzles where extra strength is

required in fresh water and petroleum products.

KF306

Designed for high abrasion, high wear applications in:

bearings, nozzles, seal rings, valve seats, valve stems,
and impact rings.

KF310

Used in medium wear/impact applications in: bearings,

valve parts, and nozzles.

K84

For use in oil well valve parts and check valves.

K801

Used in bearings, seal rings, and valve parts in salt water,

boiler feed water, contaminated water, fresh water,
gasoline, kerosene, oil, dry freon gas, liquid nitrogen,
liquid methane, and crude oil.

K701

Combats severe corrosion/abrasion in bearings, seal

rings, and valve parts such as: homogenizer valves and
impact rings in food, paint, and chemical, clay slurries,
paint components, coal slurries, mill scale slurries,
concentrated caustic, steam, fresh water, petrochemical
slurries, soap, and detergents.

K714

Delivers less corrosion/abrasion resistance than grade

K701, but can be attached by brazing. For bearings, seal
rings, nozzles, and valve parts used in: clay slurries, paint
components, coal slurries, earth slurries, concentrated
caustic, steam, fresh water, mill scale slurries, and bauxite.
Can also be used for flight tiles for sewage, chemicals and
other solids separation applications.

K162B

Used in high temperature applications and corrosive

applications for bearings, seal rings, nozzles, and valve
parts in: dry gases, liquid fluorine, acids, and hot gases.

the K96 grade provides better strength

and fracture toughness than the KF306
grade.
The K90 grade series has five
different straight cobalt binder tungsten
carbide grades. Fluid handling uses
the two lower cobalt binder grades K96
and K94. These grades can handle
mild corrosive media with grade K94
offering some impact strength.
seal rings for severe
corrosionFive Kennametal
tungsten carbide grades
cover a broad range of
corrosive-abrasive sealing
conditions.

bearingsUse of Kennametal as a bearing material is

becoming increasingly common due to its ability to resist
deterioration from contaminates such as acid, hydrocarbons,
salt water, rust scale, and other abrasives.

ball and seat valvesBoth Kennametal and Kentanium valves

have shown superior performance under severe operating
conditions such as those found in oil well pumps, hydraulic
systems, and chemical processing equipment, because they
are able to withstand attack from corrosive agents. And they do.

nozzlesManufacturers have
found Kennametal tungsten
carbide to be the answer to orifice
enlargement problems in handling
abrasive materials under a variety
of conditions, including high
temperatures and high pressures.

13

selection guideKennametal grades for corrosion applications*

K701
K714
type WC
type WC
binder Co-Cr binder Co-Cr

K801
type WC
binder Ni

KF306/K96
type WC
binder Co

K84
type WC-TiC2
binder Co

K162B
type TiC
binder Ni-Mo

temperature F

concentration %

acetic acid unaerated

acetic acid (glacial) unaerated
acetone
alcohols
ammoniaanhydrous
argon gas
benzeneliquid
carbon tetrachloride
chlorine gasdry
chlorine gaswet
digester liquor black from
paper processing
esters
ethylene glycol

room
room
room
room
room
room
room
room
room
room

4
99.8

ferrous sulfide

room

fluorineliquid

306

50% formaldehyde, 50% alcohol

room

freon gas
gasoline
heliumliquid
hydrochloric acid
hydrochloric acid
hydrofluoric acidanhydrous
hydrofluoric acid
hydrogenliquid
kerosene
magnesium bisulfite digester liquor
methaneliquid
methanolanhydrous
methanol20% water
nitric acid
nitric acid
nitrogenliquid
oilcrude, sand, salt water
high in sulfur
oxygenliquid
phosphoric acid
crude phthalic acid and anhydride
sodium cyanide
steamsuperheated
sulfuric acid
sulfuric acid
waterboiler feed
waterfresh, distilled, purified
watertap, chlorinated
watersea

room
room
452
room
212
room
room
423
room
room
259
room
room
room
212
320

A
A
A
C
D
B
D
A
A
B
A
A
A
D
D
A

A
A
A
D
D
B
D
A
A
B
A
A
A
D
D
A

A
A
A
D
D
B
D
A
A
B
A
A
A
D
D
A

A
A
A
D
D
B
D
A
A
B
A
A
A
D
D
A

A
A
A
D
D
B
D
A
A
B
A
A
A
D
D
A

B
uncoupled B
coupled C**
A
A
A
D
D
B
D
A
A
B
A
A
A
D
D
A

A
D
C
D
A
C
D
A
A
B
B

A
D
C
D
A
C
D
A
A
B
C

A
C
B
D
A
C
C
A
A
B
B

A
D
C
D
A
C
D
B
A
B
B

A
D
C
D
A
D
D
B
A
B
D

A
C
C
D
A
B
C
B
A
A
B

media

A
A
A
A
B
A
A
A
C
D

B
A
A
A
B
A
A
A
C
D

B
B
A
A
A
A
A
A
C
C

C
C
A
A
B
A
A
A
C
D

C
C
A
A
B
A
A
A
C
D

A
B
A
A
A
A
A
A
C
C

150

room
room

A
A

A
A

A
A

A
A

A
A

A
A

pure

slurry
in water

37
37
1-60

5
5

room
297
room
482-540
room
600
room
212
150
room
room
room

85
10
5
5

**This chart should be used only as a guide. Many factors such as temperature variations,
changes in chemical environment, stress or loading conditions, may invalidate these
recommendations. Tests under operating conditions should be made.
**coupled to brass

14

A negligible attack
B light attack
C medium attack
D not suitable

miscellaneous wear

KF306, KF310 and KF315 grades are

a series of submicron grained tungsten
carbide grades with cobalt binders.
Their exceptionally fine and uniform
grain structure provides greater resistance to wear than standard cobalt
binder grades. They have very high
transverse rupture strengths, but lower
impact strength and fracture toughness
than grades with comparable cobalt and
coarser grains. The KF306 grade is
used for the highest wear applications
while the KF315 grade is used for wear
applications with some impact and
shock loading. The KF306 grade has
the highest metal-to-metal wear life. All
KF grades are HIPPED for the best
strength and the highest quality.
The KF306 grade applications include
seal rings, bearings, draw dies, very fine
blanking, and no impact wear inserts.
The KF310 grade is used for larger
bearings, medium draw dies, punches,
and wear inserts with mild impact. The
KF315 grade is used for punches,
medium blanking dies, and heavy
drawing dies.
The K90 series of straight cobalt
binder tungsten carbide grades includes
K96, K94, K92, K91, K90fine grain
size grades from 5.5% Co to 25% Co.
The low cobalt grades are the hardest
grades having the highest wear resistance and rigidity, while the softer grades
with more cobalt have more strength
and more resistance to impact and
shock loads, but less wear resistance.
These grades can handle a very wide
variety of wear and impact applications
from metal to metal wear of a bearing
to heavy impact of a heading die. See
the application chart for more details.
Kentanium K162B, a titanium carbide
grade, can be used at continuous operating temperatures of 1400F. The
K162B grade is used for high temperature applications such as hot glass
forming and cutting applications.

Kennametal wear components applications chart

grade

applications

K96

wear pads and guides, paper trimming knives, center nibs,

saw tips

K3833

paper slitters, wear with moderate impact

K94

grippers, woodworking inserts or heavy cuts, rotary choppers

(non-metallic), paper slitters

K3109

hammer mill components, debarker knives, crush form rolls,

arbors, tube mill rolls

KF306

Used for high abrasion, high wear applications for: wear guides
and pads, gauge blocks, center nibs, and woodworking inserts
for light cuts.

KF310

paper slitters, woodworking inserts (heavy cuts on abrasive

materials)

KF315

wear applications with moderate wear

K84

for non-galling wear applications, dry , metal-to-metal wear,

saw tips for metalcutting saws

K714

centrifugal wear parts, corrosion-wear

K801

corrosive wear parts in water

K162B

Used for high temperature applications and corrosive

applications for wear inserts, bushings, rings, forming tools
for hot glass, and thermocouple tubes.

15

finding
better
ways
R

Customer Service (United States and Canada) Phone 800-446-7738

North American Service Centers
California
6015 East Randolph Street
Los Angeles, CA 90040-3486
Phone 800-446-7738
Fax 800-732-5760
Connecticut
Progress Industrial Park
1095 Day Hill Road
Suite 150
P.O. Box 800
Windsor, CT 06095
Phone 800-446-7738
Fax 800-847-0004
Illinois
2626 Warrenville Road
Suite 400
Downers Grove, IL 60515
Phone 800-446-7738
Fax 800-962-4910
Michigan
31800 Industrial Road
P.O. Box CN-5100
Livonia, MI 48151-3089
Phone 800-446-7738
Fax 800-321-7290

North Carolina
4301 Westinghouse Boulevard
Charlotte, NC 28273
Phone 800-446-7738
Fax 704-588-9687
Ohio
Duke World Park, Bldg. #6
5577 Spellmire Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45246
Phone 800-446-7738
Fax 800-932-2399

Canada (Kennametal Ltd.)

Alberta
Unit No. 2, 9750-51 Ave.
Edmonton, AB T6E 0A5
Phone 800-446-7738
Fax 403-436-9364
British Columbia
Unit 11, 3511 Viking Way
Richmond, B.C. V6V 1W1
Phone 800-446-7738
Fax 604-273-8380

Texas
15421 Vantage Parkway West
Suite 102
P.O. Box 60110
Houston, TX 77205
Phone 800-446-7738
Fax 713-442-2409

Manitoba
1226 Sherwin Road
Winnipeg, MB R3H 0V3
Phone 800-446-7738
Fax 204-633-9162

14-A Butterfield Trails

El Paso, TX 79906-4902
Phone 800-242-2680
Fax 800-554-3684

Ontario
115B Matheson Boulevard West
Suite #211
Mississauga, ON L5R 3L1
Phone 800-446-7738
Fax 416-568-2955
Quebec
2244 - 46th Ave.
Lachine, PQ H8T 2P3
Phone 800-446-7738
Fax 514-636-1756

Kennametal Inc.
Metalworking Systems Division
P.O. Box 30700
Raleigh, NC 27622

Customer Application Support Phone 800-835-3668

International Locations
Argentina
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A93-350 (10) A5

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