Tungsten Carbide Rings

What is tungsten carbide? 

Tungsten carbide is a chemical compound that is inorganic. It is often combined with a small percentage of other metals to add durability, color, and other physical properties to the metal. One of the main uses for tungsten carbide is tools. Many companies create sharp tungsten carbide components to go in saws and drills. It is also used for special ammunition for the United States Army. These special bullets can pierce armor with a tough core. 

Tungsten is technically a metal like substance, instead of a true metal. One of the reasons why it is classified this way is because it decomposes rather than melts when it is heated to an extreme temperature. How interesting! It is an incredibly dense with a bluish silver color. 

Other Names for Tungsten Carbide

When a binder is added to small pieces of tungsten carbide, it acts like a cement. These combinations of a binder and tungsten carbide are called cobalt. Some of the other names for these cemented composites are Widia and Carboloy. 

Why is tungsten carbide a great choice for rings? 

This metal is extremely tough and strong. The way scientists rank hardness of a material is with the Moh’s hardness scale. On this scale, tungsten carbide ranks between 8.5 to 9 (depending on the sample collected and tested). This means that the metal is stronger than steel and titanium. It’s incredibly high ranking puts tungsten carbide just below diamonds on the Moh’s harness scale. 

It is also very durable and very difficult to scratch. This is perfect if you are clumsy or work a job where you rely on your hands a lot. Rings that are made from tungsten carbide are actually more durable than golf, palladium, silver, platinum, and ceramic rings. However, there are some trade offs. For example, this metallic substance can become brittle in the right circumstances. 

Tungsten carbide has been shown to be chemically inert. This means it will not react when the oxygen in the air, which means it will not rust in typical situations. What do I mean by typical situations? Well, this metal will only rust when it reaches six hundred degrees Celsius. So, no matter how rugged your lifestyle is, it will hold up! Because this metal is chemically inert, this means that it is also waterproof. This is the perfect choice for boaters, swimmers, and gentlemen who spend a lot of time submerged in bodies of water. 

A ring made of tungsten carbide is also a great choice for your wallet. When compared to the precious metals, tungsten carbide is very affordable. It is important to know that quality matters with tungsten carbide. You can learn more about the tungsten carbide ring you are choosing by asking about the grade of the metal. This will tell you what the metal is combined with and how it will perform for years to come. You are looking for a ring that is made with chemical elements like carbon and nickel. While these might increase the price of the ring, it is important to choose a ring of great quality so you can love it for years to come. 

Misconceptions about Tungsten Carbide

There are some common misconceptions about Tungsten carbide. For one, many people are afraid to wear tungsten carbide because they have heard that it is a toxic metal. While this is technically true, it needs some explanation to make sense. Tungsten carbide rings are made out of tungsten that is jewelry grade. This means it is safe to wear and do not affect the health of the wearer at all. What the phrase toxic metal refers to is the fact that in its pure form Tungsten is toxic. This is the same thing that confuses people about chlorine. Chlorine gas is incredibly toxic to humans, however, when combined with other compounds it is safe. We even eat chlorine in the form of NaCl, also known as table salt!

How to clean your tungsten carbide ring? 

Like many other rings, tungsten carbide rings do best when washed regularly with soap and water. Try to avoid using hand sanitizer while wearing your ring. Hand sanitizer contains alcohol which can react badly with the chemical composition of the ring. It can also make your ring look cloudy or dirtier by leaving a ring of build up on the ring.