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Tungsten Carbide Thermal Spray Powder

What is thermal spraying?

Tungsten carbide thermal spray powder is a leading surface coating material. Thermal spraying is a process that applies a powder as a surface coating to improve or repair the surface of a material. The powder is used to make your parts last longer or build up a part that has worn down. Thermal spray powder is fired onto a metal substrate in thin layers to cover the surface. It is applied with a spray gun at a high velocity to form a strong mechanical bond. The velocity comes from heating gas to build up pressure that goes through a nozzle. A basic overview of the thermal spray process is found here from the ASM Thermal Spray Society. They also describe various types of thermal spray coating applications. Thermal spray powders are frequently used instead of plating or heat treating processes that are less effective or more expensive.

Why is Tungsten Carbide a Good Thermal Spray Material?

The chemical symbol for tungsten carbide is WC. Tungsten carbide is an extremely hard metal, as decribed in this article by AZoM. It is an excellent choice as a thermal spray powder to use on parts that need high wear resistance. The thin coating of tungsten carbide material allows the part to last longer before requiring repair or replacement.

A common tungsten carbide powder is known as 88-12, or WC 12Co. This refers to the composition of the powder, which is 88% tungsten carbide (WC) and 12% cobalt (Co). The cobalt is used as a binder material. Other binders such as Nickel or Chromium are used to achieve different properties. Other binders are better for oxidation or corrosion resistance. There are several different combinations of binder materials to choose from to achieve the properties that you desire.

Thermal Spray Powder Manufacturer


Buffalo Tungsten produces high quality tungsten carbide thermal spray powder. We make agglomerated, sintered materials. These powders provide dense, hard surface coatings with excellent wear properties at low temperatures (<500 C). Buffalo Tungsten's thermal spray powders are used in a wide range of industries. They have application on things like pump casings and various shafts. There are several standard powders to choose from. Custom powders are made based on customer needs.

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Lead Free Tungsten Radiation Shielding

Radiation can serve useful purposes in fields such as medical diagnostics and treatments or power generation. Radiation can also be harmful to our bodies if we are exposed to it in high concentrations. It is associated with cancer and causing damage to our cells. In order to be kept safe from the damaging effects of radiation when it is used we need to be properly shielded from it. Tungsten is an excellent material for radiation shielding because it has an extremely high density. At 19.3 g/cm3 tungsten is among the most dense of all the metals. This property helps it to act as a barrier to damaging x-rays, gamma rays and other types of radiation.

Buffalo Tungsten is a manufacturer of the high density tungsten powders that are used in radiation shielding for various industries. The tungsten powder is typically compounded with rubber or plastic in order to mold it into different shapes. A commonly known medical application is the aprons and vests worn when you have an X-ray taken at a doctor or dentist's office. Our tungsten powders are also used in radiation shielding for power generation applications such as nuclear reactors. Tungsten will help shield the pipes that run to and from the reactor. These products have been traditionally made of lead, but the toxicity of lead has made the safe disposal of it expensive. With a higher density, thinner and less bulky shielding products can be produced from tungsten.

When tungsten is used it is often referred to as lead free shielding, which has formed an increasing segment of the market. Some examples of lead free radiation shielding are manufactured by companies such as Lancs Industries. If you manufacture any type of lead free radiation shielding products Buffalo Tungsten can supply the tungsten powder materials that you need.

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Electrical Contacts

Buffalo Tungsten has been supplying tungsten powder for electrical contacts for over two decades. Contacts are the metallic points that come together to complete a circuit. When they are in contact, electricity can flow through them. When they are not in contact, the flow of electricity stops.

Circuit breakers are a common household example of electrical contacts. There are also many commercial and industrial uses for tungsten contacts. In other common products they are on motors in appliances. They are also on relays and switches for control systems.

Electrical contacts are typically made from a highly conductive metal such as silver or copper. These metals blend with tungsten powder to improve their resistance to wear and oxidation. Tungsten carbide powder is in various types of contacts as well. The high melting point of tungsten provides some protection from high temperatures.

Manufacturers press and sinter the contacts into their shape. The quality of the tungsten powder has a large impact on the quality of the finished products. Be sure to get tungsten powder for contacts to get the best results.


Contact us for more information about tungsten materials that can improve the performance of your electrical contacts. With many years in the industry we have seen many product applications.

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International Tungsten Supplier

Buffalo Tungsten is a global tungsten supplier to dozens of countries. From Norway to New Zealand, we can supply your needs. From full container loads to urgent air shipments, we get things to you when you need them.

With our experience in global logistics we provide a high level of support. We will get your tungsten powder materials to your door on time and in great condition. Buffalo Tungsten provides the import documents you need to clear your shipment with the local customs office.

As an international tungsten supplier we understand the long transport times to get material to you. That is why we focus on short lead times in our factory. If we get things out our door faster then you will get them faster to keep your production going.

High Quality Tungsten Supplier

We offer high quality materials for a wide variety of industries. Our goal is to make sure that you have the best tungsten powder for your needs. We want to make sure that our powder works in your equipment. We want to make sure that you get just what you need to make your products.  

Our goal of 100% satisfaction is important as an international tungsten supplier.

At Buffalo Tungsten we understand that each country has different shipping regulations. We work with our international customers on packaging materials and labeling to make sure that things go smoothly.

For more data on US tungsten exports you can visit the USGS information page. To find out about our company and capabilities as an international tungsten supplier visit our company page to learn more.

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Small Business Designation

It has been said that best things come in small packages, and at Buffalo Tungsten we believe it's true. By the standards of the U.S. Small Business Association, Buffalo Tungsten is classified as a small business. While we are large enough to supply full containers or truckloads of material, we are small enough to provide a high level of flexibility and customer service.

Buffalo Tungsten is small enough to maintain a sole focus on producing tungsten powder, tungsten carbide powder, and thermal spray powders. This is all that we do 24/7, so after more than thirty years we have become experts. 


We are an independent producer and are not in competition with our customers, so all of our technical knowledge goes to helping our customers make the best products possible from our tungsten materials.


Since we are small we can provide personal service and interaction with the people who are on the front lines in the factory. You will speak with someone who can walk a few steps and adjust a machine or process to help you get the changes you need immediately.


We have the flexibility to adapt to changing needs in the marketplace. Decisions are still made at the lunch table and not in a board room, so we are always willing to try new things and make changes to improve our products.


Being small allows us participate in SBA contracting programs. Buffalo Tungsten qualifies for small business set asides for U.S federal government contracting purposes. 

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Just-in-Time (JIT) Inventory Systems

At Buffalo Tungsten, we are committed to providing the level of quality, reliability, and responsiveness that our customers need to make a JIT system possible if they so choose. As a U.S.-based producer, we can offer our North American customers especially short lead times that allow us to quickly respond when their systems demand tungsten powders. If you’re a user of tungsten powder looking to implement a JIT system, or just to reduce your inventory levels, contact us today to discuss how we can be the reliable supplier your company needs. The Just-in-Time inventory system has become increasingly common in the business world in recent years. JIT is a “demand-pull” system in which each component in a production line is only produced as needed by the next stage in the process. Demand triggers each step of the production cycle (Datar & Rajan, 2018). The goal of JIT is to minimize inventory and carrying costs, freeing up capital for other uses. References: Banton, Caroline. (2020). Just in Time (JIT). Investopedia. Retrieved from: https://lnkd.in/ftYgXQd Datar, Srikant M. & Rajan, Madhav V. (2018). Horngren’s Cost Accounting: A managerial emphasis. USA. Pearson.
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Social Distancing Logo

Buffalo Tungsten has created a social distancing logo with a message of hope...

Our creation of this logo is a reminder that social distancing will help us to slow the spread of a deadly virus. It threatens the lives of many, especially those who are elderly and immune compromised.

Although there are bigger issues in our world at this time we remain ready to supply tungsten powder. Our customers manufacture essential products in the medical and defense industries.

Our hope is that this virus will pass soon and we will be back to our normal activities. In the meantime we will do our part to prevent further outbreaks. We will educate our employees and adjust the work conditions to allow for more social distancing.

These are temporary measures. The world has seen pandemics before and come through. With advances in medical research we are in better shape than ever before to deal with it.

It's a time to stay home where possible. We will slow the spread and then we can enjoy time together once again. If we are all patient and be careful we will get through this faster. If we work together we will be stronger for it in the end.

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Operating at Capacity

Buffalo Tungsten produces essential materials and continues to operate at normal capacity during the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. You can be assured that we can continue to meet your demand for tungsten materials.

Although we have an exemption from New York State to remain in operation, we are not conducting business a usual in many respects. We have taken steps to monitor the evolving risk and safeguard our employees and their families. We have educated our workforce on the best ways to avoid exposure to the virus and prevent spreading the virus to others. We have limited physical interactions between employees, made additional personal protective equipment available, and increased the frequency of sanitizing our facility to mitigate risk.

New York State has taken measures to reduce the community spread of the virus by requiring non-essential businesses to “reduce the in-person workforce at each business/work location by 100%...” Exemptions have been made for what are deemed to be essential businesses which allow Buffalo Tungsten to continue to operate.

https://esd.ny.gov/guidance-executive-order-2026

We pray for the safety of our suppliers and customers and their families during the spread of this virus and the COVID-19 disease. We have faith that it will soon pass and we will be in a stronger position to face future threats.

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Coronavirus Web Conferencing

At Buffalo Tungsten we have always valued personal relationships. We enjoy face to face meetings with our customers. Because of the outbreak of the coronavirus, we have introduced web conferencing technology to keep in touch. Options include audio (dial in or system) with screen sharing and video conferencing.

This will allow us to have more frequent contact with you and become even more responsive to your needs. We can answer any questions you might have about tungsten powder. We can also discuss other issues such as packaging or transportation. If there is something you feel that we can improve, we always want to know about it.

The coronavirus web conferencing will help us to coordinate schedules simply and easily. You can schedule a meeting directly through our contact page. This will make sure that we are both available at the time of the meeting.

We understand that there may be some fatigue with online meetings at this point. In th elomg run we see it as an opportunity. With the ability to eliminate time and space it allows us to meet instantly and puts us back in a position that we can resume our daily work as soon as we hang up.

Buffalo Tungsten wishes to express sincere concern for those who may have been impacted personally or have had a loved one impacted by the virus.

At the same time we hope to take advantage of some of the new found efficiencies to increase productivity and improve communication.

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