Tungsten steel, also known as cemented carbide, is a sintered composite material consisting of at least one metal carbide.
Tungsten carbide, cobalt carbide, niobium carbide, titanium carbide and tantalum carbide are common components of tungsten steel.
The grain size of the carbide component (or phase) is usually between 0.2 and 10 microns, and the carbide grains are held together with a metal binder.
Binders usually refer to the metal cobalt (CO), but for special uses, nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), or other metals and alloys may also be used.
The composition of a pending carbide and binder is called a "grade".