Tungsten carbide is a kind of alloy made by powder metallurgical process with the refractory carbides (such as tungsten carbide, titanium carbide, tantalum carbide, niobium carbide, vanadium carbide and chromium carbide) as the hard phase and cobalt or nickel as the binder. It is divided into cutting inserts, wear parts, mining tools, profiles and hard-facing material in terms of the basically applications.

Tungsten carbide is the hardest man-made metal-matrix composites. They are used in every major industry worldwide, from ballpoint pens - to mining - to petroleum drilling. The unique properties of carbide in its carious compositions and forms have made process industries and durable goods manufacturers more efficient by reducing machine downtime. The term cemented carbides refers to metallic carbides - fine particles of tungsten carbide bonded or cemented together in a matrix of a metallic element of a lower melting point such as cobalt or nickel. The process of powder metallurgy is skillfully employed to produce cemented carbides.