Field comparison
| Metric | Tungsten carbide | Boron carbide |
|---|---|---|
| Life on steel grit | 300-500 h | 700-1000+ h |
| Life on Al2O3 | 20-40 h | 200-500+ h |
| Hardness (Knoop, guide) | 1300-1500 | 2800-3000 |
| Impact toughness | High | More brittle |
| First cost | Lower | Premium |
BLAST APEX lists tungsten carbide as the standard SKU. Quote boron carbide when the media will eat WC in days. Handle B4C like a ceramic: no hammer, no drop on concrete.
Numbers: aluminium oxide can finish a tungsten liner in 20-40 hours. The same liner on copper slag often lasts hundreds of hours. B4C costs more up front and chips if a fitter drops it. Payback is a long Al2O3 or steel-grit recovery job, not a two-day slag blast on a tank roof. If the site only runs slag, stay on tungsten and budget a spare, not a ceramic upgrade.