Chromium carbide. A typical example of a carbide compound that combines the refractory and hardness of carbides with some other property attributable to the cation. In this case, the anti-corrosive properties of chromium. Chromium carbide is used extensively in aerospace materials, high temperature drilling parts, welding electrodes and in other high temperature corrosive environments. Hafnium carbide. Combining the high refractive index of both the element hafnium and of carbides generally, hfc is the most refractory simple binary compound with a melting temperature of 3, 890 ºc. Tungsten carbide. The most commonly used of the carbides is tungsten carbide which when combined with cobalt carbide and/or titanium carbide, niobium carbide, chromium carbide and tantalum carbide produces the hardest and least costly cutting drills and tools. Zirconium carbide. Another one of the refractory group of metals, zirconium, generally finds applications in its oxide form in ceramic materials and as the carbide also has many potential uses in hard heat resistant ceramics. It has the additional characteristic of being electronically conductive.