Guide to Tungsten Carbide Grades: Understanding YG, YN
When engineers and procurement teams talk about Tungsten Carbide, they often mean a single material. In reality, tungsten carbide comes in many differentgrades, and choosing the right grade is just as important as choosing the right design.
For wear parts such as rods, bushings, nozzles, plates, centrifuge tiles, and seal rings, grade selection directly affects:
● Hardness and wear resistance
● Toughness and resistance to chipping
● Corrosion performance in different media
● High-temperature performance
Langsun Carbide offers a full range of YG (cobalt-bonded) and YN (nickel-bonded) grades—including YG3, YG6, YG8, YG15, YN6, and YN8—for products such as tungsten carbide plates, rods, bushings, centrifuge tiles, and nozzles.
This guide explains what tungsten carbide grades are, how the YG and YN series differ, and how these grades align with real-world applications.
1. What Is a Tungsten Carbide Grade?
Industrial tungsten carbide is typically used in the form of cemented carbide: hard tungsten carbide (WC) grains are bonded together by a metal binder—most commonly cobalt (Co) or nickel (Ni). A tungsten carbide grade describes the specific formulation and how these components are combined.
| Key Factors That Define a Tungsten Carbide Grade | ||
|---|---|---|
| Factor | Description | Influence on Properties |
| WC grain size | Average size of tungsten carbide particles (coarse / medium / fine / ultrafine). | Fine/ultrafine grains increase hardness and edge stability; coarser grains generally improve impact tolerance. |
| Binder type | Metallic phase, mainly cobalt (Co) or nickel (Ni) in Langsun Carbide grades. | Cobalt provides very high toughness; nickel improves corrosion resistance and can offer non-magnetic behavior. |
| Binder percentage | Weight percent of cobalt or nickel in the carbide composite. | Higher binder content increases toughness and TRS but slightly reduces hardness and abrasion resistance. |
| Additional carbides / alloying | TiC, TaC or other carbides, and alloyed binders in special grades. | Can improve hot hardness, crater wear resistance, and corrosion performance in special applications. |
Typical Tungsten Carbide Hardness ranges from approximately 86 to 94 HRA, significantly higher than most tool steels. Each grade (such as YG6 or YN6) represents a specific balance between hardness, toughness, and corrosion resistance.
2. YG Series: Cobalt-Bonded Tungsten Carbide
2.1 What “YG” Means
In China and many international cemented carbide naming systems, “YG” refers to WC–Co (tungsten carbide–cobalt) cemented carbide. The number that follows indicates the approximate cobalt content by weight percentage:
| Typical YG Grade Codes and Binder Content | ||
|---|---|---|
| Grade code | Approx. Co content (wt%) | General description |
| YG3 | ~3% Co | Very high hardness, high wear resistance, relatively low toughness. |
| YG6 | ~6% Co | Balanced hardness and toughness; widely used in wear parts and tools. |
| YG8 | ~8% Co | Higher toughness than YG6; suitable for heavier loads and impact. |
| YG15 | ~15% Co | Very tough; designed for severe impact and heavy-duty service. |
2.2 Typical Properties of YG Grades
The exact performance of YG grades can vary with grain size and manufacturing process, but the typical values below summarize common ranges and highlight the relative differences between grades.
| Representative Properties of YG Tungsten Carbide Grades | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade | Binder (Co, wt%) | Typical hardness (HRA) | Illustrative TRS (N/mm²) | Typical characteristics |
| YG6 | ~6% | ~90 | ≥ ~1520 | Good balance of hardness and toughness; common choice for bushings, sleeves, and wear parts. |
| YG8 | ~8% | ~89.5 | ≥ ~1750 | Slightly tougher than YG6; suitable for higher impact loading. |
| YG15 | ~15% | ~87 | ≥ ~2050 | Very high toughness; used where misalignment, vibration, or shock are severe. |
2.3 Where YG Grades Work Best
Because WC–Co grades combine high hardness with excellent toughness, they are widely used for:
● Tungsten Carbide Rods for cutting tools, including solid carbide end mills and drills.
● Bushings and sleeves for high-wear and high-impact applications such as pumps, compressors, drilling tools, and valves.
● Nozzles exposed to high-velocity abrasive flow, such as PDC drill bit nozzles and spray nozzles.
● Wear liners and centrifuge tiles for mining, oil & gas, and bulk/solids handling equipment.
In environments with severe wear but limited corrosion, YG grades are often the most cost-effective choice.
3. YN Series: Nickel-Bonded, Non-Magnetic Tungsten Carbide
3.1 What “YN” Means
The YN series refers to nickel-bonded (WC–Ni) or nickel-rich cemented carbide grades. These grades are designed for applications that demand excellent corrosion resistance and low magnetic permeability, such as certain pumps, chemical-processing equipment, and MWD/LWD (measurement/logging while drilling) tools.
| Typical YN Grade Codes and Binder Content | ||
|---|---|---|
| Grade code | Approx. Ni content (wt%) | General description |
| YN6 | ~6% Ni | Good combination of wear resistance and corrosion resistance. |
| YN8 | ~8% Ni | Higher toughness and corrosion resistance; suitable for harsher media. |
3.2 Typical Properties of YN Grades
The table below summarizes representative properties of YN grades. It follows the same format as the YG table to show typical ranges and overall performance trends.
| Representative Properties of YN Tungsten Carbide Grades | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade | Binder (Ni, wt%) | Typical hardness (HRA) | Illustrative TRS (N/mm²) | Typical characteristics |
| YN6 | ~6% | ~89.5 | ≥ ~1460 | Balances hardness with improved corrosion resistance; suitable for corrosive media. |
| YN8 | ~8% | ~88.5 | ≥ ~1710 | Higher toughness and corrosion resistance; used in demanding chemical or seawater environments. |
3.3 When to Choose YN Instead of YG
Compared with YG grades, YN grades come with their own advantages and trade-offs. The table below summarizes the most important differences between the two.
| Comparison of YG vs YN Tungsten Carbide Grades | ||
|---|---|---|
| Aspect | YG series (WC–Co) | YN series (WC–Ni) |
| Primary binder | Cobalt (Co) | Nickel (Ni) |
| Corrosion resistance | Good in non-aggressive media; less suitable for strong acids and seawater. | Better corrosion resistance in many chemical and seawater environments. |
| Magnetic behavior | Magnetic, which can interfere with certain instruments. | Can be designed to be essentially non-magnetic. |
| Impact toughness | Generally higher at the same binder content. | Typically slightly lower at the same binder content; design must consider this. |
| Typical use cases | General wear parts, rods, bushings, nozzles, plates, and tiles in non-extreme corrosive service. | Corrosion-resistant bushings, seal rings, and non-magnetic components in harsh media. |
In short, YN grades are typically recommended when fluid chemistry (corrosion resistance) or non-magnetic requirements matter more than maximum impact resistance. For highly abrasive environments with only moderate corrosion, YG grades are usually the default choice.
4. How Langsun Carbide Maps Grades to Real Products
Langsun Carbide maintains a consistent grade portfolio across its core product lines. The table below outlines how grades are assigned across each product family. Custom grade selection is also available to match customer specifications and special applications.
| Typical Grade Selection by Langsun Carbide Product Family | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product family | Example products | Typical grades | Primary wear mechanisms | Selection notes |
| Plates & centrifuge tiles | Tungsten carbide plates, tiles for centrifuges and chutes. | YG3, YG6, YG8, YG15, YN6, YN8 | Sliding abrasion, impact from particles, occasional corrosion. | Fine-grain YG3/YG6 for extreme abrasion; YG8/YG15 for higher impact; YN6/YN8 where chemical attack is significant. |
| Tungsten carbide rods | Solid and coolant-hole rods for end mills, drills, reamers. | YG3, YG6, YG8, YG15, YN6, YN8 | Abrasive wear, thermal cycling, occasional impact or interrupted cuts. | YG6/YG8 for most cutting tools; YG15 for heavy roughing; YN grades when coolants or environments are corrosive. |
| Bushings, sleeves & rings | Bushings and sleeves for pumps, compressors, drilling tools. | YG6–YG25, YN6, YN8 | Sliding wear, abrasion from solids, vibration, misalignment, corrosion. | YG6–YG12 for general wear; YG15–YG25 for very high impact or misalignment; YN grades for corrosive or non-magnetic service. |
| Nozzles & flow components | Tungsten carbide nozzles for PDC bits, spray systems, waterjets. | YG6, YG8, YG12, YG15; YN grades where needed | Erosion from high-velocity fluids with solids, pressure cycling, possible corrosion. | YG grades for maximum erosion resistance; YN or special alloys when corrosive chemicals or seawater are also present. |
| Seal rings & mechanical seal faces | Tungsten carbide seal rings for pumps and compressors (linked from seal and oilfield product pages). | YG6, YG8, YG15, YN6, YN8 | Sliding wear, mixed lubrication, corrosion, thermal and pressure cycling. | YG grades for general industrial fluids; YN grades when handling aggressive chemicals or seawater. |
5. How to Select the Correct and Appropriate Tungsten Carbide Grade
You don’t need to memorize every grade code to make the right selection. Use the checklist below to guide discussions with your supplier or internal team.
| Tungsten Carbide Grade Selection Checklist | ||
|---|---|---|
| Step | Key question | What to consider |
| 1. Define component | What part are you designing or replacing? | Rod, bushing, nozzle, plate, seal ring, centrifuge tile, sleeve, or custom wear part. |
| 2. Identify wear mechanisms | How does the part fail today? | Abrasion, sliding wear, erosion, impact, cavitation, corrosion, or a combination of these mechanisms. |
| 3. Characterize environment | Which medium and conditions are present? | Air, water, oil, slurry, chemicals, CO₂, H₂S, chlorides; typical temperature and pressure ranges. |
| 4. Choose binder family | Is corrosion resistance or non-magnetic behavior critical? | Use YG (WC–Co) for maximum toughness and abrasive/erosive wear in non-extreme corrosive media; use YN (WC–Ni) when corrosion or magnetism is a concern. |
| 5. Adjust binder content & grain size | Do you need more hardness or more toughness? | Lower binder / finer grain for higher hardness and wear resistance; higher binder / coarser grain for better impact tolerance. |
| 6. Review data | Does the grade match your performance targets? | Check hardness (HRA), TRS, density, and recommended application ranges; compare with known successful cases. |
| 7. Validate in service | How does the part perform in the field? | Track service life and failure modes; refine grade choice or geometry if necessary. |
6. Working with Langsun Carbide on Grade Selection
Because grade selection is closely tied to part design, the most effective approach is to combine your process knowledge with Langsun Carbide’s materials and manufacturing expertise.
When you send an RFQ or drawings, please include the following information:
● Part type (rod, bushing, nozzle, plate, seal ring, centrifuge tile, sleeve, etc.)
● Process media, solids content, and the expected temperature and pressure
● Your typical failure mode (wear, chipping, corrosion, cracking)
Based on this information, our engineers can recommend a specific YG or YN grade to help you manufacture tungsten carbide components that perform reliably in demanding service conditions. When appropriate, we can also propose special grade variants, providing the best overall balance of hardness, toughness, corrosion resistance, and cost for your application.