Tungsten Carbide By Steven Staten MEEN 3344

What is Tungsten Carbide ?  A Ceramic  Tungsten is a Refractory Metal with the highest melting temp. at 3410°C  The Knoop hardness is around 2100  The mixture of the two reduces cost for tools.

How it is dressed to the tool  Mill or shoe is heated to where the pores of the iron open  Then the brazing alloy made of copper and a high nickel content is melted down and bonded into the iron’s pores.  This bonds the tungsten carbide to the mill

What is it used for?  For downhole cutting and milling  The removal of loose junk such as bit cones, packers, tong dies, and cement.  The abrasive surface of the mills from the tungsten-carbide is what does the cutting.  When cutting is done, the object that was being cut is now small shavings that can be circulated out.

References:  Callister, William D Jr. “Materials Science and Engineering An Integral Approach 2 nd Edition.”, John Wiley and Sons INC   fishing_services/pathmaker_mill.jpg