The family of high-performance materials is larger than tungsten carbide and ceramics alone might suggest: it also includes superalloys, high-temperature-resistant plastics such as PEEK, fiber composites like GFRP and CFRP, as well as technical textiles. What they have in common is that they were developed for conditions that conventional materials cannot withstand. However, when components must be hard, dimensionally stable, and durable all at once, tungsten carbide and high-performance ceramics are often the materials of choice. These are precisely the two material classes Graf Hartmetall focuses on.
High-performance materials have a higher initial cost than conventional metals: raw materials and complex manufacturing processes come at a price. However, the calculation is based on the entire service life. Longer service life, fewer unplanned downtimes, and less frequent replacement of parts often reduce the cost per operating hour below that of supposedly cheaper standard materials. The higher the load and the more costly a failure, the faster the investment in the right high-performance material pays for itself.
The same material name can refer to different grades. Powder purity, additives, and the sintering process determine the microstructure and thus the properties of the finished component. Two aluminum oxide grades can differ significantly in hardness and wear behavior, even though both go by the same name. For tungsten carbide, binder content and grain size are the key variables: more binder increases toughness, while less binder increases wear resistance; finer grains make the grade harder, while coarse grain makes it more fracture-tough. Characteristic values are therefore always ranges, not fixed values.
For the selection process, this means: In addition to the material itself, the grade that suits the application is what matters.
In addition to standard grades, special forms are available for specific requirements. Mixed ceramics such as ATZ and ZTA combine the hardness of aluminum oxide with the fracture toughness of zirconium oxide. Particularly pure CVD-SiC coatings and SiC composites are used when surface finish, purity, or temperature behavior are key considerations.
The selection process doesn’t begin with the material, but with the component: the medium, temperature range, load condition, and geometry determine which technical materials are suitable and when a high-performance material is actually required. Often, several materials can achieve the desired result. Details such as tolerances, joining techniques, or the manufacturing process for the finished component are the deciding factors. Here are some practical rules of thumb:
