When tungsten meets carbon

Tungsten carbide powder has proven to offer a key ingredient in cemented carbide manufacture. Its undisputable technological success is based on high purity in tungsten refining as well as robust and adaptable powder processing in mass production. Grain and particle size distribution and powder morphology can be varied to meet demand from alloy manufacture. In combination with third elements manifold sintered structures can be achieved. Circularity of tungsten carbide is mirrored by chemical and direct recycling methods including a variety of products. All these factors contribute to the potential to establish sustainable supply chains in the cemented carbide industry. This report combines a survey of today's industry standard and selected technological fields, which have been discovered during ten decades of powder development. •From coarse to near nano - the power of tungsten powder particle size.•Doping elements - the tungsten carbide property tailoring.•Novel energy saving tungsten carbide recycling routes.•Alternative processing routes through tungsten cobalt carbon composite phases.