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Carbide or ceramic - which material for your wear part?

For combined impact + abrasion service, tungsten carbide has no practical replacement. Ceramics win only in one narrow case: pure abrasion with no impact.

• Silicon carbide (ceramic) — very high hardness, very low toughness: shatters on impact, shock or thermal spikes
• Tungsten carbide (high-binder) — high hardness + high toughness: survives combined impact and abrasion
• Tool steel — low hardness, high toughness: abrasive media cuts it quickly

The decision rule: impact + abrasion together (valves slamming, punches striking, dies closing) → tungsten carbide. Pure abrasion, no impact, stable temperature (sliding wear, lapping) → ceramic (SiC) can be a valid, cheaper alternative. If your part fails by cracking or chipping, switching to a harder ceramic makes it worse — the problem is toughness, and ceramic has the least of it.

Send a drawing or photo plus the failure pattern — a photo of the failed part tells us more than a spec sheet. We'll recommend the material and grade, and quote within 1–2 business days.