Material Identification Guide
How to identify tungsten carbide tooling and scrap
A practical field guide to distinguishing tungsten carbide from HSS, steel and ceramic — using simple tests you can perform without specialist equipment.
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Field identification tests
Weight Test
Tungsten carbide is exceptionally dense — approximately 14.5–15.0 g/cm³, roughly twice the density of steel. A carbide insert or drill bit feels noticeably heavy for its size.
Carbide
Feels unusually heavy for its size
HSS / Steel
Feels similar weight to steel
Ceramic
Lighter than expected — alumina ceramics are ~4 g/cm³
Colour & Appearance
Carbide has a characteristic dark grey to charcoal appearance with a metallic lustre. The surface is typically smooth and very hard in new tools, with a worn, dull appearance in used tooling.
Carbide
Dark grey to charcoal, metallic, very smooth
HSS / Steel
Bright silver to straw-coloured (after heat treatment)
Ceramic
White, cream or black — very different appearance
Magnet Test
Pure tungsten carbide is not magnetic. However, the cobalt binder used in most cemented carbide is slightly magnetic — carbide typically shows a very weak magnetic response or none at all.
Carbide
Non-magnetic or very weakly magnetic
HSS / Steel
Strongly magnetic
Ceramic
Non-magnetic
Spark Test
Grinding carbide against an abrasive wheel produces short, reddish-orange sparks that are dull and sparse. This contrasts sharply with HSS which produces long, bright white/yellow spark showers.
Carbide
Short, dull, reddish-orange sparks — sparse
HSS / Steel
Long, bright yellow/white sparks — abundant
Ceramic
No sparks — ceramic shatters on grinding wheel
Hardness Test
Carbide is extremely hard — typically 1500–1800 HV (Vickers). It will scratch glass easily and will scratch hardened steel. A file will not cut carbide; it will skate off the surface.
Carbide
Will not be scratched by a file — file skates off
HSS / Steel
A file bites into HSS with some effort
Ceramic
Extremely hard but brittle — chips rather than deforms
Common material forms
Indexable Inserts — Contains Carbide
Small prismatic shapes (triangular, square, round, diamond) with a central mounting hole. Usually stamped with ISO grade codes. Extremely dense and very hard.
Solid Round Tools (End Mills, Drills, Reamers) — Contains Carbide
Cylindrical tools, grey to charcoal coloured. Much heavier than equivalent HSS. May have a bright TiAlN or AlCrN coating (golden/violet tint). Very hard — a file will not bite.
Brazed Tip Tools — Contains Carbide
Steel body with a carbide tip brazed on. The steel body is magnetic; the carbide tip is not. Look for a silver solder joint line between the body and tip.
Mining Buttons & Picks — Contains Carbide
Hemispherical carbide buttons pressed into a steel body. The button is charcoal grey, very dense and non-magnetic. Common in drill bits and roadheader picks.
High-Speed Steel (HSS) Tools — Not Carbide
Bright silver appearance, strongly magnetic, long bright spark shower. Lighter than carbide for the same size. May be stamped "HSS" or "M2", "M35", "M42".
Ceramic Inserts — Not Carbide
White, cream or black appearance. Very light compared to carbide. Non-magnetic. Common grades are alumina (white) and silicon nitride (grey-black). No sparks on grinding.
Steel Toolholders — Not Carbide
Standard machined steel, magnetic, normal steel weight and appearance. These hold carbide inserts but are themselves not carbide. Only the insert has value.
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