Comparative Study on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Coarse-grained WC-based Cemented Carbides Sintered with Ultrafine WC or (W+C) as Additives

The effects of ultrafine WC(WC_(UF),0.5μm) or W(1μm) and C(0.3μm)(W+C)_(UF) additives on the densification,microstructure and mechanical properties of coarse-grained cemented carbides were compared systematically.Overall,the cemented carbides with WC_(UF)/(W+C)_(UF) additives are almost fully densification to be higher than 99%,and the average grain size is kept above 2.8μm.The WC_(UF) additive assists grains to(truncated)trigonal prism shape by two dimensional(2D) growth,whereas the(W+C)_(UF) additive assists grains to rounded shape by three dimensional(3D) growth,lowers WC contiguity and increases face-centered-cubic Co.The hardness and bending strength of(75WC_(C)-15WC_(UF))-10Co are 86.6 HRA and 2 272 MPa,respectively,both higher than those of(75WC_(C)-15(W+C)_(UF))-10Co,which could be ascribed to the enhanced densification and unblemished grains.However,the fracture toughness of the(75WC_(C)-15(W+C)_(UF))-10Co is 23.5 MPa·m^(1/2),higher than that of the(75WC_(C)-15WC_(UF))-10Co due to the uniform WC-Co structure and flexible binder phase.

Effect of Sintering Temperature on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Nanocrystalline Cemented Carbide

WC-Co nanocrystalline nitrogen-containing cemented carbides were prepared by vacuum sintering and low pressure sintering.The sintering processes of Cr_(2)(C,N)doped nano WC-Co powders were studied by using thermogravimetric analysis(TGA)and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC).The effect of sintering temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline cemented carbide was studied by scanning electron microscope(SEM),high resolution transmission electron microscope(HRTEM)and mechanical property test.The results showed that the nano WC grains began to grow in the solid phase sintering stage.A high-performance nano-nitrogen-containing cemented carbide with uniform microstructure and good interfacial bonding can be obtained by increasing the sintering temperature to 1380℃.It has a transverse rupture strength(TRS)of 5057 MPa and a hardness of 1956 HV30.

Microstructure and formation process of Ni-pool defect in WC-8Ni cemented carbides

The morphologies and formation process of Ni-pool defects in WC?8Ni cemented carbides were studied. The SEM images show that Ni-pool generally has two kinds of morphologies: “island” in isolation and “ring” around a new phase. In the obtained samples with “ring-like Ni-pool”, WC, Ni and Ni2W4C (η phase) phases were detected in XRD patterns. Combined with SEM, EDX and XRD results, it is found that the phase in the center of the “ring-like Ni-pool” is Ni2W4C (η phase) and the main chemical components of Ni-pool are Ni, W and C. In addition, the relationships among large size Ni (agglomerated) particles, volatile impurities, pores and carbon content vs forming process of the Ni-pool defects for WC?8Ni cemented carbides are also presented and discussed.

Effects of Ta C on microstructure and mechanical properties of coarse grained WC-9Co cemented carbides

Coarse grained WC-9Co cemented carbides with 0-1.0% TaC(mass fraction) were fabricated by HIP-sintering and gas quenching. The effects of TaC on the microstructures and mechanical properties were investigated using scanning electron microscopy(SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis(EDS), X-ray diffractometry(XRD) and mechanical properties tests. The results show that the maximum values of hardness and strength are HV 1124 and 2466 MPa respectively when 0.4% TaC is added. When the content of TaC is more than 0.6%, the grain size of WC is no longer affected by the amount of TaC, and(W,Ta)C occurs as well. Moreover, the strength and fracture toughness increase and the(Ta+W) content decreases with the increase of TaC content. The dependence of(Ta+W) content on the mechanical properties indicates that(Ta+W) content in Co should be decreased as low as possible to improve the mechanical properties of coarse grained WC-TaC-9Co cemented carbides with the microstructure of WC+γ two phase regions.

Effects of deep cryogenic treatment on microstructure and properties of WC-11Co cemented carbides with various carbon contents

The effects of deep cryogenic treatment on the microstructure and properties of WC-11 Co cemented carbides with various carbon contents were investigated.The results show that after deep cryogenic treatment,WC grains are refined into triangular prism with sound edges via the process of spheroidization,but WC grain size has no evident change compared with that of untreated alloys.The phase transformation of Co phase from α-Co（FCC） to ε-Co（HCP） is observed in the cryogenically treated alloys,which is attributed to the decrease of W solubility in the binder（Co）.Deep cryogenic treatment enhances the hardness and bending strength of the alloys,while it has no significant effects on the density and cobalt magnetic performance.

Elastoplastic response of functionally graded cemented carbides due to thermal loading

Finite dement formulations are used to simulate the evolution of the elastoplastic response of functionally graded cemented carbides （FGCC） due to thermal loading. The geometry of specimens is an axisymmetric solid cylinder with a two-dimensional gradient. The elastoplastic constitutive relationship is developed by constraint factors. Numerical results show that compressive stresses occur in the surface zone and tensile stresses in the cobalt rich zone when the temperature drops from the initial stress-free temperature of 800 to 0℃. The maximum value of the surface compressive stress is 254 MPa and the maximum value of the tensile stress is 252 MPa in the cobalt rich zones. When the cobalt concentration difference in the specimens is equal to or greater than 0.3, there is pronounced plastic flow in cobalt rich zone. When the temperature heats up from 0 to 800 ℃, the total plastic strain reaches 0.001 4. Plastic flow has a significant effect on the reduction of thermal stress concentration.

Effects of gradient structure on the microstructures and properties of coated cemented carbides

The effects of gradient structure on the microstructure and properties of coated cemented carbides were researched with optical microscopy （OM）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, strength measurements, and cutting tests. It shows that vacuum sintering of WC-Ti（C, N）-TaC-Co cemented carbides results in the formation of a surface ductile zone. The ductile zone prevents crack propagation and leads to the increase of transverse rupture strength of the substrate. The impact resistance of coated gradient inserts was obviously improved on the basis of maintaining resistance to abrasion and the forming mechanism of the gradient structure was also analyzed.

Growth kinetics of cubic carbide free layers in graded cemented carbides

In order to reveal the formation mechanism of cubic carbide free layers （CCFL）, graded cemented carbides with CCFL in the surface zone were fabricated by a one-step sintering procedure in vacuum, and the analysis on microstructure and element distribution were performed by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and electron probe micro-analyzer （EPMA）, respectively. A new physical model and ki- netic equation were established based on experimental results. Being different f^om previous models, this model suggests that nitrogen diffu- sion outward is only considered as an induction factor, and the diffusion of titanium through liquid phase plays a dominative role. The driving force of diffusion is expressed as the differential value between nitrogen partial pressure and nitrogen equilibrium pressure essentially. Simulation results by the kinetic equation are in good agreement with experimental values, and the effect of process parameters on the growth kinetics of CCFL can also be explained reasonably by the current model.

Properties and microstructure of VC/Cr_3C_2-doped WC/Co cemented carbides

This paper deals with the effects of codoped VC/Cr3C2 and sintering temperature on the magnetic and mechanical properties of ultra-fine grained WC-12%Co alloys. Results show that the synergistic action of doped VC/Cr3C2 in optimal proportion enhances both the hardness and transverse rupture strength （TRS） of the alloys, with more homogeneous microstructtLre. When the alloy is sintered at 1430℃ and with 0.5% Cr3C2/0.2% VC, the TRS reaches 3786 MPa, the hardness is 91.7 HRA and the grain size smaller than 0.6 μm. The numerical analyses on grain growth during the sintering process show that both VC precipitating on the WC grain boundary and Cr3C2 dissolving in the Co phase decrease the solid/liquid interfacial energy γ, the process of dissolution and reprecipitation is greatly retarded and the coarsening of WC grains is inhibited.

Change in relative density of WC-Co cemented carbides in spark plasma sintering process

The relative density of WC-Co cemented carbides during spark plasma sintering（SPS） was analyzed.Based on the change in displacement of the ram in the SPS system,the relative densities in the sintering process can be achieved at different temperatures.The results indicated that densification of the samples started at near 900°C,the density rapidly reached its maximum at the increasing temperature stage,in which the temperature was lower than the sintering temperature of 1200°C,and most of the densification took place in the stage.Besides,the theoretical values were consistent with the experimental results.

Sintering characteristics and microstructure of WC-Co-VC/Cr_3C_2 ultrafine cemented carbides

The sintering characteristics, microstructure, and mechanical properties of ultrafine WC-12%Co-0.2%VC/0.5%Cr3C2 cemented carbides were investigated. Dilatometric and differential thermal analyses （DTA） indicate that the compacts start to shrink at 600°C, the shrinkage rate peak is at 1190°C, and the liquid formation temperature is lower than the W-C-Co eutectic temperature （1330°C）. Microstructure analysis results show that the cemented carbides with fine and homogeneous microstructure were obtained when sintered at 1430°C. Continuous and discontinuous grain growth was suppressed due to the synergistic action of VC/Cr3C2. The transverse rupture strength （TRS） of the samples reaches 4286 MPa, with the hardness HRA 92.1. The fine and homogeneous microstructure, alloy strengthening, and different phase constitutions of binder in the cemented carbides result in high hardness and TRS. Continuous and discontinuous grain growth was observed in the cemented carbide sintered at 1450°C, which results in significant decreases of hardness and TRS. It indicates that VC/Cr3C2 additions in the cemented carbides can only suppress the grain growth at a certain temperature.

β→α Transformation of γ-Phase in Sintered WC-Co Cemented Carbides

Varying the morphology and the structure of γ-phase (Co-base Co-W-C solid solution) by means of altering the cooling rate and the preparing method of liquid sintered WC-Co cemented carbides samples, the mechanism of fcc→hcp transformation of γ-phase in WC-Co alloy has been explored. The results show that, the cooling rate is an important affecting factor on fcc→hcp transformation of γ-phase and the fcc→hcp transformation is mainly a diffusive type when cooling WC-Co samples above room temperature

Effects of Phosphorus Additions on Microwave Sintering Properties of Uitrafine WC-10Co Cemented Carbides

Using the microwave sintering technology, the effects of phosphorus （P） additions on the microstructure and properties of the ultrafine WC-10Co alloys were investigated. The experimental results show that with only 0.3wt% P additions, full density WC-10Co cermets were obtained at temperature of 1250℃, which is 70 ℃ lower than that of the undoped counterparts. Lower sintering temperature can result in finer WC grain growth; therefore, the P-doped WC-10Co alloys exhibited higher hardness than the undoped ones. But at the same time, P doping could lead to sacrifice of fracture toughness ofWC-10Co cemented carbides.

Computer-Aided Design of Some Advanced Steels and Cemented Carbides

Thermodynamic and kinetic study on TRIP （transformation induced plasticity） steels, cemented carbides and mold steel for plastics were carried out in order to design modern advanced materials. With the sublattice model, equilibrium compositions of ferrite and austenite phases in TRIP steels, as well as volume fraction of austenite at inter-critical temperatures for different time were calculated. Concentration profiles of carbon, manganese, aluminum and silicon in the steels were also estimated in the lattice fixed frame of reference. The effect of Si and Mn on TRIP was discussed according to thermodynamic and kinetic analyses. In order to understand and produce the graded nanophase structure of cemented carbides, miscellaneous phases in the M-Co-C （M= Ti, Ta, Nh） systems and Co-V-C system were modeled. Solution parameters and thermodynamic： properties were listed in detail. The improvement of machining behavior of prehardened mould steel for plastics was obtained by computer-aided composition design. The results showed that the matrix composition of large-section prehardened mould steel for plastic markedly influences the precipitation of non-metallic inclusion and the composition control by the aid of Thermo-Calc software package minimizes the amount of detrimental oxide inclusion. In addition, the modification of calcium was optimized in composition design.

Preparation and properties of Ni-coated WC powder and highly impact resistant and corrosion resistant WC-Ni cemented carbides

WC powders were uniformly coated by Ni nanoparticles through a combined chemical co-precipitation and subsequent high temperature hydrogen reduction strategy(abbreviated as CM-WCN),and then were consolidated by vacuum sintering at 1450°C for 1 h to obtain WC−Ni cemented carbides.The microstructure and properties of the as-consolidated CM-WCN were investigated.The average grain size of WC in the consolidated CM-WCN was calculated to be in the range of 3.0−3.8μm and only few pores were observed.A relative density of 99.6%,hardness of HRA 86.5 and bending strength of 1860 MPa were obtained for the CM-WCN−10wt.%Ni,and the highest impact toughness of 6.17 J/cm^(2 )was obtained for the CM-WCN−12wt.%Ni,surpassing those of the hand mixed WC−Ni(HM-WCN)cemented carbides examined in this study and the other similar materials in the literature.CM-WCN cemented carbides possess excellent mechanical properties,due to their highly uniform structure and low porosity that could be ascribed to the intergranular-dominated fracture mode accompanied by a large number of plastic deformation tears of the bonding phase.In addition,the corrosion resistance of CM-WCN was superior to that of HM-WCN at the Ni content of 6−12 wt.%.

Research of Ultrafine Cemented Carbides for PCB Microdrills

The nanocrystalline WC-10Co composite powders were produced with the processing method of spray thermal decomposition-continuous reduction&carburization.The grain growth inhibitors of 0.4wt%Cr_(3)C_(2) and 0.4wt%VC were added into the composite powders to obtain advanced ultrafine hardmetals with minimal porosity,defects and discontinuous.The rod samples were formed by extrusion.They were sintered in cacuum with SIP treatment.The sintered rods were made into PCB microdrill samples after polishing.Mechanical properties(such as density,hardness,transverse rupture strenth(TRS),magnetic saturation induction and magnetic coercivity)of the sintered ultrafine cemented carbides were measured.The microstructures of them were investigated by scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and transmission electron microscopy(TEM).The experimental results show that the transverse rupture strength of the samples sintered in vacuum with sinterhip(SIP)treatment is more excellent.The grain size could be controlled in a range of 200-400 nm with the help of grain growth inhibitors.And the superfine grained materials have superior strength(3900 MPa)and high hardness(HRA=93.3).These features are ideal for PCB microdrills.

γ-PHASE IN WC-Co CEMENTED CARBIDES

The allotropic transformation process of the γ-phase in WC-Co cemented carbides has been explored.Theconcepts of γ-grain and the γ-domain have been proposed forward:The γ-domain is the residual FCC-typeβ-Co grain that failed to transform when cooling alloy sample and γ-base is the HCP-type x-Co transformedmainly by means of diffusion,the outline of the γ-grain is consistent with the newly fromed β-Co grain formedat high temperature.The quantity and distribution of γ-grain domain are related to the cooling rate after sinter-ing and influence the alloys properties.

Effect of VC and NbC additions on microstructure and properties of ultrafine WC-10Co cemented carbides

The nanocomposite WC-Co powders were prepared through planetary ball milling method.Effects of grain growth inhibitor addition and the vacuum sintering parameters on the microstructure and properties of ultrafine WC-10Co cemented carbides were investigated using X-ray diffractometer,scanning electron microscope and mechanical property tester.The results show that VC and NbC additions can refine the WC grains,decrease the volume fraction of Co3W3C phase in ultrafine WC-10Co cemented carbides,and increase the hardness and fracture toughness of the base alloys.After sintering for 60 min at 1 400℃,the average grain size and hardness of ultrafine-grained WC-10Co-1VC cemented carbide are 470 nm and HRA 91.5,respectively.The fracture toughness of cemented carbide WC-10Co-1NbC alloy is over 7 MN·m -3/2 .

Coercive Force of γ-Phase in WC-Co Cemented Carbides

The influence of γ-phase composition in WC-Co cemented carbides on its specific coercive force H_(sc) hasbeen studied by analysing the imitative alloys of γ-phase. The results show that the H_(sc) of γ-phase is lower thanthat of pure cobalt, because the solute W can raise γ-phase H_(sc) but the carbon exhibits more intense negativeeffect on H_(sc). The effect is enhanced with raising the C solubilities in γ-phase.

MAGNETIC PROPERTY OF BINDER IN WC-Co CEMENTED CARBIDES

Tianjin Institute of Hard Alloy,Tianjin 300222,China ABSTRACT The effects of solutes of wolfram and carbon on specific saturation magnetization(4πσ)of cobalt have been examined on the basis of the measurement of Ana for hexagonal typeα-Co and cubic typeβ-Co.The Co-W-C solid solution simulative alloys have been fabricated according to binder composition in WC-Co cemented carbides and the effect of its component and structure on its Ana has been discussed too.It is pointed out that the Co phase structural factor must be considered as measuring the Ana of WC-Co cemented carbides.