Cemented Carbide WC-Co K20 vs Cemented Carbide WC-Co K40: 0% composition overlap. Significantly different materials serving different application areas.
Cemented Carbide WC-Co K20 vs Cemented Carbide WC-Co K40
Side-by-side chemical composition and mechanical property comparison.
Overview
Cemented Carbide WC-Co K20
ISO K20 cemented tungsten carbide with ~8% cobalt binder. The most widely used general-purpose WC-Co grade, balancing wear resistance and toughness. Hardness 91–92 HRA (~1450–1550 HV), density ~14.7 g/cm³, TRS 2200–2600 MPa. Medium grain. Applications: general turning, milling, drilling of cast iron, non-ferrous metals; end mills; wear parts with light impact; mining bits. ANSI C2, China YG8.
Cemented Carbide WC-Co K40
ISO K40 cemented tungsten carbide with ~15% cobalt binder. Toughest standard WC-Co grade with highest impact resistance but lowest hardness. Hardness 89–90 HRA (~1200–1350 HV), density ~14.0 g/cm³, TRS 2800–3400 MPa. Coarse grain. Applications: heavy roughing of cast iron; cold heading dies; mining and rock drilling; punches and stamping tools; percussion bits; parts subject to heavy impact. ANSI C1/C11, China YG15.
| Cemented Carbide WC-Co K20 | Cemented Carbide WC-Co K40 | |
|---|---|---|
| Material Number | — | — |
| Category | cemented_carbide | cemented_carbide |
| Standard | ISO 513 | ISO 513 |
Chemical composition (wt%)
| Element | Cemented Carbide WC-Co K20 | Cemented Carbide WC-Co K40 | Overlap |
|---|---|---|---|
| WC | 91–93% | 84–86% | No overlap |
| Co | 7.5–8.5% | 14–16% | No overlap |
| TaC | ≤ 0.5% | — | — |
Mechanical properties
| Property | Cemented Carbide WC-Co K20 | Cemented Carbide WC-Co K40 | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| density | 14.6–14.8 | 13.9–14.2 | g/cm3 |
| hardness_hra | 91–92 | 89–90.5 | HRA |
| hardness_vickers | 1450–1550 | 1200–1350 | HV30 |
Compatibility Assessment
Cemented Carbide WC-Co K20 and Cemented Carbide WC-Co K40 have significantly different compositions (0% overlap). These materials are not interchangeable and serve different application areas.
Automated assessment based on composition analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cemented Carbide WC-Co K20 the same as Cemented Carbide WC-Co K40?
Cemented Carbide WC-Co K20 and Cemented Carbide WC-Co K40 have a 0% composition overlap. They are generally not directly interchangeable.
Can I replace Cemented Carbide WC-Co K20 with Cemented Carbide WC-Co K40?
Generally not recommended. The compositions differ significantly (0% overlap). These materials have different alloying concepts and are intended for different applications.
What is the difference between Cemented Carbide WC-Co K20 and Cemented Carbide WC-Co K40?
The main differences are in the following elements: WC, Co. Cemented Carbide WC-Co K20 is a cemented_carbide grade, while Cemented Carbide WC-Co K40 is a cemented_carbide grade.
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Data provided for reference only. Always verify against the applicable specification for critical applications.
All data is for reference only. Equivalents indicate similarity, not identity. Always verify against the applicable specification for safety-critical applications. materialref.com accepts no liability for decisions based on this data.