Stellite cobalt-based alloys consist of complex carbides in an alloy matrix. They are resistant to wear, galling, and corrosion and retain these properties at high temperatures. Their exceptional wear resistance is due mainly to the unique inherent characteristics of the hard carbide phase dispersed in a CoCr alloy matrix.

Stellite 6 is the most widely used of the wear-resistant cobalt-based alloys and exhibits good all-around performance. It is regarded as the industry standard for general-purpose wear-resistance applications, has excellent resistance to many forms of mechanical and chemical degradation over a wide temperature range, and retains a reasonable level of hardness up to 500°C (930°F). It also has good resistance to impact and cavitation erosion. Stellite 6 is ideally suited to a variety of hardfacing processes and can be turned with carbide tooling.