Carbide vs HSS – Red Hardness Comparison

2025-11-24

Carbide (Tungsten Carbide) – Excellent Red Hardness

Carbide tools maintain their hardness and cutting performance even at extremely high temperatures, often above 800–1000°C.
This allows carbide tools to run at much higher cutting speeds, with better wear resistance and longer tool life.
Conclusion: Ideal for high-speed machining and hard materials.

HSS (High Speed Steel) – Moderate Red Hardness

Standard HSS begins to lose hardness when temperatures rise.
Cobalt HSS such as M35/M42 has improved red hardness, but still cannot match carbide at high temperatures.
Conclusion: Suitable for lower-speed machining, general steel, and applications where toughness is more important than heat resistance.

Summary Comparison

Property	Carbide	HSS (incl. M35/M42)
Red Hardness	★★★★★ Very High	★★–★★★ Moderate
High-speed cutting	Excellent	Limited
Wear resistance	High	Medium
Heat softening	Very resistant	More easily softened
Best for	Hard materials, high speeds	General steel, lower speeds

So Carbide has much higher red hardness than HSS.
It stays hard and sharp even at very high temperatures, making it suitable for high-speed cutting and longer tool life.
HSS, even M35/M42, cannot maintain hardness as well as carbide when the temperature rises.

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Carbide vs HSS – Red Hardness Comparison