Why does cracking occur in tungsten carbide after brazing?
Tungsten carbides have low coefficients of thermal expansion compared with that of steel. This means that they expand and contract less than steel does during heating and cooling. As a result stresses can be built up in the carbide. The magnitude of the stresses created by the differences in expansion will be a function of the size of the piece of carbide being brazed. This can give rise to cracking of the carbide during or following brazing operations.
