a) Density: Hunters are well acquainted with the advantage of lead (11.3 gr/ccm density) over steel (7.8 gr/ccm) - with a 45% greater density, it's significantly smaller for the same mass, which translates into greater penetrating power and less aerodynamic drag. As it turns out, depending on how much (and in what) Tungsten-carbide powder (or simply "Carbide") is cemented or "matrixed" (usually in iron-nickel or cobalt), it has roughly the same mass advantage over lead as lead has over steel: at 14-18.5 gr/ccm density, some formulations are almost as dense as pure gold (19 gr/ccm). That sheer density makes the material VERY interesting from a ballistics standpoint ... in fact, if you run the numbers, a 3/8" ball of the stuff (roughly 36 cal or 9.5mm, which is comparable to "0000 Buckshot") can have roughly the same mass as .44 cal lead and 50 cal steel. b} Hardness: Tungsten Carbide is TOUGH stuff ... it's used on the tips of saw blades, for drill-bits, for shot-blasting the rust off of steel-plate, and the military uses it in high-velocity armor penetrators in certain anti-tank rounds, and also as the munition of choice in anti-personnel fragmentation munitions. c) Non-Toxicity: Unlike lead, which is a toxic heavy metal, carbide is relatively non-toxic. d) Corrosion Resistance: Carbide is naturally stable because the tungsten is already in a highly stable molecular bond with carbon, and is therefore resistant to corrosion in most ambient temperature conditions. e) High Melting Point: Tungsten has a very high melting point ... so high, it was/is the chief ingredient in the filaments used in incandescent light bulbs.
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