Tungsten carbide is a super-hard material that is made of equal parts tungsten and carbon atoms. It is almost as hard as a diamond.
Due to its strength and toughness, the material is widely used in mining projects as the tools made from it are extremely impact-resistant. It also improves tool life and productivity, as there would be no frequent tool replacements during the job.
Here, we’re outlining some major ways this amazing material is used in mining.
Blasthole Drilling
When a person is drilling through rock, he needs extraordinary efficiency to carry out the job successfully. The tungsten carbide metal inserts for drill successfully surpass the heavy-duty drilling requirements (in almost any mining environment). They also repeatedly impact, fracture, and grind through hard rock formations at very high speeds.
Depending on the rock type, the tungsten carbide is deployed in several unique configurations. Button bits are common in modern top-hammer drilling. These bits have several cylindrical buttons press-fitted into their face.
Similarly, tricone roller bits have rotating cones that are embedded with milled steel teeth crafted in carbide. They’re ideal for crushing extremely hard rock formations.
Mineral Processing
To extract minerals from materials, the materials need to be reduced. Tungsten carbide is used in mills or heavy-duty grinding media to do that.
Since it’s hard, it pulverizes the hard ores without ever introducing contaminants. The rock faces need high heat and pressure to penetrate. Tungsten carbide is attached to the tops of rock drill bits to withstand that pressure. Similarly, the material can also reinforce high-friction machinery, including valve seats and other pump components.
Lastly, large-scale mining equipment, such as shearer picks and plow chisels, also uses this material to efficiently scoop minerals from the earth.
Roof Bolting
Roof bolting keeps the mine workers safe by reinforcing the mine roof. Tungsten carbide ensures accurate drilling into hard rock (which prevents dangerous collapse of the roof).
Sharp carbide bits also need less drilling time and thrust, which means less coal dust will be produced. This protects miners from respiratory illnesses that can be life-threatening. Bits of this material also ensure that the drilled hole has the exact diameter as required. It’s important to properly mix the resin and prevent bolt slippage.
Lastly, the roof bolting machine features safety components (such as an automatic rod-holding jaw) that rely heavily on the wear-resistance properties of tungsten carbide.
Speeding Up Mine Development
Since tungsten carbide has superior mechanical strength, the drill bits and picks will shatter and grind hard rock more quickly. Similarly, the tools made from this material last longer than standard steel, reducing the frequency of tool changes and downtimes. The miners will keep working without interruption.
The tools will also maintain their shape and sharpness even in high temperatures and pressure. As a result, the blast holes will be more accurate. Tungsten carbide also allows equipment to easily tackle deep geological formations that would otherwise quickly destroy steel tools.
Bottom Lines
We can conclude that no mining project can be completed efficiently without tungsten carbide. It’s an amazingly hard material that does wonders in all kinds of mining processes.
