Carbide Plate

  • Different carbide overlays serve different wear conditions.

  • Chromium carbide is the most widely used and cost-effective.

  • Tungsten carbide provides ultimate hardness but higher cost.

  • Complex alloy overlays deliver the best balance of wear, impact, and temperature resistance.

A Carbide Plate, also known as a hardfacing plate or overlay plate, is a wear-resistant steel plate with a hard alloy layer welded onto a base metal (usually mild steel or low-alloy steel).
The hardfacing layer determines the plate’s hardness, wear resistance, and temperature performance — making it the key factor for choosing the right product.

Different carbide materials are used depending on the working environment, from standard abrasion to extreme impact or high temperature.

1. Common Types of Hardfacing Layers

Type of Hardfacing LayerMain CarbideTypical CompositionHardness (HRC)Main FeaturesCommon Applications
Chromium Carbide Overlay (CCO)Cr₇C₃ / Cr₃C₂Fe–Cr–C58–65Excellent sliding abrasion resistance; moderate impact resistanceCement, power, mining, steel mills
Tungsten Carbide Overlay (WCO)WCFe–Cr–W–C or Ni–W–C68–75Extremely high hardness; superb wear life; limited impact resistanceDredging, oil drilling, cutting tools, high wear nozzles
Niobium Carbide Overlay (NbC)NbCFe–Cr–Nb–C60–68Improved toughness and crack resistance; handles impact betterMining buckets, crushers, impact liners
Vanadium Carbide Overlay (VC)VCFe–Cr–V–C58–64Very fine carbide structure; good balance of wear and toughnessCement screws, sand transport, conveyor systems
Molybdenum Alloyed Overlay (MoC or Cr–Mo–C)Mixed Cr/Mo carbidesFe–Cr–Mo–C55–62Excellent heat resistance; stable up to 800 °CHigh-temperature hoppers, furnaces
Complex Carbide Overlay (Multi-alloy)Cr + Nb + V + Mo carbidesFe–Cr–Nb–V–Mo–C60–68Superior resistance to multiple wear types (abrasion + impact + temperature)Mining, metallurgy, cement clinker lines

2. Chromium Carbide Overlay (CCO) – The Most Common Type

The chromium carbide layer is the most widely used overlay in wear plates.
It features:

  • Hardness: 58–65 HRC

  • Carbide phase: Cr₇C₃

  • Excellent wear resistance under dry sliding or fine particle abrasion

  • Stable performance up to 600–800 °C

This type is ideal for chutes, hoppers, fan blades, cyclones, and coal pipelines.

3. Tungsten Carbide Overlay – For Extreme Wear

Tungsten carbide hardfacing offers the highest hardness (up to 75 HRC) among all overlay types.
It provides exceptional resistance to abrasion and erosion, even in slurry or sand-laden environments.

  • Extremely low wear rate

  • Used for oil drilling tools, dredger components, and wear rings

  • More costly, but lasts 3–5× longer than chromium carbide under the same conditions

4. Niobium and Vanadium Carbide Overlays – Balanced Performance

To improve the brittleness of standard chromium carbide overlays, NbC and VC are added to enhance impact and crack resistance.
These “complex carbide” layers provide a balance of:

  • High hardness

  • Better impact resistance

  • Good metallurgical bonding

  • Extended wear life in dynamic conditions

Common in mining equipment, cement screws, crushers, and mixing blades.

5. Complex Alloy Carbide Overlays – Multi-Element Systems

Modern wear plates often use multi-alloy overlays combining Cr, Nb, Mo, V, and W to achieve composite wear resistance.
They can handle environments involving:

  • Sliding abrasion

  • Impact wear

  • High temperature (up to 850 °C)

  • Mild corrosion

These plates are the premium choice for severe service applications such as clinker coolers, crusher walls, and heavy-duty conveyors.

6. Base Metal Options

While the overlay layer defines wear performance, the base metal provides structural strength.

Base MetalDescriptionSuitable For
Mild Steel (Q235 / A36)Low cost, good weldabilityGeneral wear applications
Low Alloy Steel (Q345 / A572)Higher strength and toughnessHeavy-duty applications
Stainless Steel (304 / 316)Corrosion resistanceChemical and marine environments

7. Summary

Overlay TypeMain AdvantageTypical HardnessTemperature Limit
Chromium CarbideGeneral wear resistance58–65 HRC600–800 °C
Tungsten CarbideExtreme abrasion resistance68–75 HRC600 °C
Niobium CarbideImproved impact strength60–68 HRC700 °C
Complex AlloyAll-round high performance60–68 HRC850 °C

Carbide Plate

Carbide Plate

Carbide Plate

Carbide Plate

Carbide Plate