(57) Disclosed herein is a carbide roll having an improved composition for hot forming steel rod in multi-stand rolling mills. The improved composition comprises the addition of nickel as a binder material to a normal tungsten carbide-cobalt roll composition, preferably, so that the composition by volume is approximately: tungsten carbide-70 percent; nickel-10 percent; and cobalt- 20 percent. A dual composition is disclosed, wherein the above composition forms the inner layer of the roll and an outer layer may be composed of, by volume, tungsten carbide - 70 percent and cobalt - 30 percent.