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Selectively dissolve tungsten carbide drill bit from aluminum

What wet chemistries, if any, will dissolve a broken off tungsten carbide bit embedded in aluminum without dissolving or otherwise harming the aluminum.

Dave W [surname deleted for privacy by Editor]
Machine shop - Leander, Texas
2005

Generally speaking tungsten carbide only dissolves in very strong acids such as hydrochloric acid (HCl) and would not be practical as an answer for this problem. Another potential would be to oxidize the carbide (burn it) but I don't believe you could get the drill hot enough without melting the aluminum. I hope this answers your question. Sorry for not being able to give you an answer that will work.

Timothy Brunelli
- Latrobe, Pennsylvania, USA
December 26, 2008

I tried to use concentrated sulfuric acid, and it dissolves the broken tap bit, and leave the Al block surface passivated.

Sheng Wu
- Covina, California
July 25, 2009

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