We feel that this is not the ideal test of cryogenically treated carbide because as the untreated inserts became dull the cryogenically treated insert had to take up more of the work of cutting. First of all, we are talking about the very hard material used to make cutting tools, not the chemical compound calcium carbide. We are talking about the very hard material that is a compound of carbon and one or more metals such as chromium, tungsten, vanadium or iron. This material is extremely hard, wear resistant and heat resistant compared to the high speed steel that it replaces. Carbide is actually not pure carbide.
Most people simply call it carbide.
Carbide is actually small particles of a carbide such as tungsten carbide or chromium carbide that is held together with a a binder such as cobalt. Carbide parts are made by compressing a mixture consisting of carbide particles and a metallic binder in a die. The metallic binder is usually cobalt, but can be a mixture of nickel and cobalt or just nickel. The compressed form is then sent through a sintering oven. The process is very similar to the manufacture of powdered metal parts.