What Is Tungsten Carbide Buttons? How to Insert Carbide Buttons into a Drill Bit?

Tungsten carbide buttons, also known as tungsten carbide inserts or cemented carbide buttons, are a type of cutting tool used in the drilling and mining industries. They combine tungsten carbide, a hard and durable material, with a binding agent such as cobalt or nickel.

Inserting carbide buttons into a drill bit is a process that requires some technical knowledge and expertise. Here are the steps involved in inserting carbide buttons into a drill bit:

Choose the right size and shape of the carbide buttons based on the drilling requirements and the type of rock or material being drilled.

Use a drill bit press to create a hole in the drill bit where the carbide button will be inserted. The hole should be slightly smaller than the diameter of the carbide button.

• Clean the hole and remove any debris using compressed air or a small brush.
• Apply a small amount of epoxy adhesive to the base of the carbide button.
• Carefully insert the carbide button into the hole in the drill bit, making sure it is seated securely and level with the surface of the bit.
• Allow the adhesive to cure for the recommended time before using the drill bit.

It is important to note that the process of inserting carbide buttons into a drill bit requires precision and care, as even a small mistake can affect the performance and durability of the drill bit. It is recommended to seek the assistance of a professional or experienced technician if you are unsure about how to insert carbide buttons into a drill bit.

Types Of Carbide Buttons For Rock Drill Bits 

Carbide buttons are the primary cutting component on rock drill bits, and they come in a variety of shapes and sizes to suit different drilling conditions. Here are some of the most common types of carbide buttons used in rock drill bits:

• Spherical buttons: These are round carbide buttons that offer excellent penetration rates and are ideal for soft to medium-hard rock formations.
• Conical buttons: These are pointed carbide buttons that provide superior drilling performance in hard and abrasive rock formations.
• Parabolic buttons: These are curved carbide buttons that combine the advantages of spherical and conical buttons, offering good penetration rates and resistance to wear and breakage.
• Hemispherical buttons: These are half-round carbide buttons that are often used in the centre of the bit face for additional impact resistance and to distribute the load evenly.
• Ballistic buttons: These are carbide buttons with a truncated cone shape that provide good drilling performance in medium-hard to hard rock formations.
• Flat buttons: These are carbide buttons with a flat top surface, often used in PDC (polycrystalline diamond compact) bits for drilling soft to medium-hard rock formations.

Tungsten Carbide Grade Of Carbide Buttons For Rock Drill Bits 

Understanding the grade designation of the tungsten carbide button may be confusing as there are thousands of grades of tungsten carbide and many trade names for those grades. All grades have varying amounts of tungsten, titanium and cobalt mixed in the binder, but the exact ratios can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer making comparisons hard to make. Moreover, there is a misconception that higher grades mean harder blades with greater wear resistance - however, this is not true. While classifications like TM-1 to TM-14 may be helpful as a rough guide, each grade should ultimately be chosen based on its intended application.

Sorting through the various grades of tungsten carbide buttons can be daunting as thousands of combinations are sold under various trade names. Each grade is created for different types of jobs, TM-7 being one of the most popular. The exact makeup of this grade can vary greatly between manufacturers, ranging from 0 - 75% tungsten carbide, 8 to 80 % titanium tungsten carbide, 0 - 10% Cobalt and 0 - 15% Nickel. It's important to remember that this particular grade does not necessarily mean more resistance or hardness, just that it's suitable for C-7 style work.

The tungsten carbide grade of carbide buttons in TUNGSTEN MAN is as follows:

5% cobalt apply to High hardness and wear resistance, suitable for making various parabolic buttons.

6% cobalt is Suitable for making various sizes of buttons with fine resistance to impact and wears for drilling soft and medium hard formations at a higher speed rate.

6.2% cobalt apply to High toughness, suitable for making buttons for high air pressure DTH bits drilling medium hard and hard rock formations.

6.5% cobalt Mainly for making buttons for low air pressure bits in mining.

7.0% cobalt With more cobalt content and toughness than that of grade 6% cobalt, it is a tougher alternative to grade 6% cobalt to avoid the risk of breakage of bits at a high-speed drilling rate.

7.5% cobalt Mainly for making buttons for DTH bits in various sizes of conical, parabolic and spherical buttons.

8.0% cobalt Mainly for making buttons of medium and small sizes for bits drilling soft and medium hard rock formations, also for making inserts for other drill bits.

8.3% cobalt Mainly for making buttons of medium & small sizes for drilling soft and medium hard rock formations.

More customizable tungsten carbide grades are available, we can choose the most suitable grade for your applications

The selection of carbide buttons depends on several factors, including the type of rock formation being drilled, the drilling speed, and the drilling depth.

For further information (MOQ, price, delivery, etc), please request a quote or send us an email at [email protected]. Our sales team and engineers are ready to offer their expertise