Carbide Scrap Identification Guide
A practical field guide helping machine shops, CNC operators, and scrap sellers accurately identify tungsten carbide.
How to Know If Your Scrap Metal Is Tungsten Carbide
First-time sellers frequently mistake High-Speed Steel (HSS), Cobalt Steel, or Tool Steel for solid tungsten carbide. Because tungsten carbide ($WC$) commands a premium value compared to standard tool steel, knowing how to verify your material ensures you receive maximum payout for your scrap tooling.
4 Fast Shop Tests for Carbide Verification
Perform these simple, non-destructive tests right in your shop before shipping or requesting a quote:
1. The Weight / Density Test
Tungsten carbide has a density of ~14.5 to 15.2 g/cm³, whereas steel and HSS are only ~7.8 to 8.1 g/cm³.
2. The Magnet Test
Pure tungsten is non-magnetic, but sintered carbide contains a cobalt binder matrix (6-15%).
3. The Scratch / File Test
Tungsten carbide sits at ~9 on the Mohs hardness scale (second only to diamond).
4. The Grinder Spark Test
Touch the material lightly to a grinding wheel in a dark area.
Carbide Scrap Category Visual Guide
Browse key carbide scrap forms found in manufacturing facilities, CNC machine shops, and mining operations.
Carbide Inserts & Shim Seats
Used across CNC turning lathes, face mills, and indexable drills. Often coated with yellow (TiN), purple/gray (TiAlN), or black (CVD) surface coatings, but the inner core is solid tungsten carbide.
Solid Carbide End Mills
Solid micrograin end mills used in die/mold machining, aerospace milling, and precision metal cutting. Includes square nose, ball nose, corner radius, and thread mills.
Carbide Rods & Round Blanks
Raw round stock used by cutting tool manufacturers to grind custom tooling. Includes polished ground rods, unground raw sintered rods, and helical coolant hole blanks.
Solid & Tipped Drill Bits
Distinguish between **Solid Carbide Drills** (100% heavy carbide throughout) and **Carbide-Tipped Drills** (steel shank with a small brazed carbide head).
Mining Buttons & Heavy Wear Parts
Heavy-duty domed buttons pressed into mining rock drill bits, asphalt planers, and tunneling equipment. Highly valued for thick carbide volume.
Grinding Sludge & Dry Swarf
Fines produced during diamond wheel grinding of carbide tools. Sludge contains oil/coolant requiring moisture testing, while dry powder swarf offers direct chemical recycling input.
Mixed Scrap Carbide Lots
Bins containing mixed inserts, end mills, broken drills, and scrap tooling. We perform XRF elemental sorting on receiving to ensure every pound of carbide is accounted for.