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.

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.

Tungsten carbide platelet-containing cemented carbide with yttrium containing dispersed phase

A fine and platelet tungsten carbide patterned structure with fine yttrium containing dispersed phase was observed in liquid phase sintered WC-20%Co-1%Y2O3 cemented carbide with ultrafine tungsten carbide and nano yttrium oxide as starting materials.By comparing the microstructures of the alloy prepared by hot-press at the temperature below the eutectic melting temperature and by conventional liquid phase sintering,it is shown that hexagonal and truncated trigonal plate-like WC grains are formed through the mechanism of dissolution-precipitation(recrystallization)at the stage of liquid phase sintering.Yttrium in the addition form of oxide exhibits good ability in inhibiting the discontinuous or inhomogeneous WC grain growth in the alloy at the stage of solid phase sintering.

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.

Preparation of Superfine-Cemented Carbide by Spark Plasma Sintering

92WC-8Co puwder mixture with superfine-tungsten carbide was respectively sintered by spark plasma sintering（ SPS ） and sintering isostutic pressure （SIP）. Complete dense samples with 200 nm WC grains and 94.2HRA hardness were prepared by spark plasma sintering at 1 150 ℃ and under 4.5 kN for 5 minutes. SIP was carried out at 1 400 ℃ for 30 minutes with a result of 300-400 nm WC grains and 93 HRA hardness. The results show that sintering temperature is greatly decreased by SPS, sintering time is largely shortened and WC grain growth is effectively retarded. Micropores and drawb（wks in superfine-cemented carbide made by SPS are greatly declined, which is very useful to improving nwehanical properties.

Microstructures and properties of WC-20Co-1Y_2O_3 cemented carbide by hot-press and liquid phase sintering

Ultrafine tungsten carbide and fine cobalt as well as nano yttrium oxide powders were used as the raw materials. The effects of hot-press below the eutectic temperature and conventional liquid phase sintering on the structures and properties of WC-20Co-1Y2O3 cemented carbide were studied. It is shown that hot-pressed alloy has the character of isotropic properties and microstructure with homogeneous and ultrafine WC grains. However, the ultrafine and fully-densified structure is developed at the cost of the presence of large amount of cobalt-lake （unevenly distributed binder phase）, and thus lower strength. Yttrium oxide in the alloy cannot play the role of grain growth inhibitor fully when cemented carbide with high content of cobalt and ultrafine raw materials is sintered at high liquid phase sintering temperature. Peculiar platelet-enhanced bi-model structure is formed in WC-20Co-1Y2O3 cemented carbide by conventional liquid phase sintering, which points out that yttrium oxide in the alloy facilitates the formation of plate-like WC grain.

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.

WC Grain Growth Behavior During Selective Laser Melting of WC-Co Cemented Carbides

Scanning strategy is a critical parameter for selective laser melting(SLM)processing of metals,alloys as well as metalceramic composites,while related research has rarely been reported yet,especially for additive manufacturing of WC–Co cemented carbides.In this study,three scanning strategies,i.e.,stripe,checkerboard,and spiral scanning,were used for additive manufacturing of WC-32Co cemented carbides.Checkerboard scanning leads to the highest relative density of 96%.Stripe scanning results in the largest average WC grain size followed by checkerboard and spiral scanning.SLM-processed carbides demonstrate agglomeration of WC grains mixed with isolated Co pools and pores.The WC grain growth mechanisms of SLM-processed cemented carbides include mosaic agglomeration growth and incomplete and uneven step growth regardless of scanning strategies.

High-temperature mechanical behavior of ultra-coarse cemented carbide with grain strengthening

Ultra-coarse grained cemented carbides are often used under conditions of concurrently applied stress and high temperature.Improvement of high-temperature mechanical performance of ultra-coarse grained cemented carbides is highly desirable but still a big challenge.In this study,it is proposed that the hightemperature compression strength of ultra-coarse cemented carbides can be enhanced by modulating hard matrix grains by activated Ta C nanoparticles,through solid solution strengthening of Ta atoms.Based on the designed experiments and microstructural characterizations combined with finite element simulations,the grain morphology,stress distribution and dislocation configuration were studied in detail for ultra-coarse grained cemented carbides.The mechanisms of Ta dissolving in WC crystal and strengthening ultra-coarse grains through interaction with dislocations were disclosed from the atomic scale.This study opens a new perspective to modulate hard phases of cemented carbides for improving their hightemperature performance,which will be applicable to a variety of cermet and ceramic-based composite materials.

Grain size effect on wear resistance of WC-Co cemented carbides under different tribological conditions

The grain-size dependence of wear resistance of WC-Co cemented carbides(with mean WC grain sizes of 2.2μm,1.6μm,0.8μm and 0.4μm,respectively)was investigated under different tribological conditions.The results showed that the grain size had opposite effects on wear resistance of the cemented carbides in dry sliding wear and microabrasion tests.In the former condition,with decrease of WC grain size hence the increase of hardness,plastic deformation,fracture,fragmentation and oxidation were all mitigated,leading to a drastic decrease in the wear rate.In the latter condition,pull-out of WC grains after Co removal dominated the wear,so that the hardness of cemented carbide was not a core factor.As a result,the wear resistance of the cemented carbide generally showed a decreasing trend with decrease of the grain size,except for a slight increase in the ultrafine-grained cemented carbide.Single-pass scratching of the cemented carbides under various loads indicated the same failure mechanism as that in the sliding wear tests.Furthermore,the reasons for severe surface oxidation of the coarse-grained cemented carbides were disclosed.

Damaging of cemented carbide end mill with different grain sizes:experimental and simulation

The main purpose of the current study was to investigate the effects of the size of WC grains on the damage evolution of WC-Co junk mills.The finite element method(FEM) simulation results showed that the finegrain(FG) tool retained its cutting edges radii longer than the coarse-grain(CG) tool.This event leads to the larger wear rate in the CG tool.Moreover,FEM analysis indicated that through increasing the feeding rate,the wear rate and the cutting forces increased as well.The observation of worn tool surface revealed that the formation of micro-pits,micro-cracks,scratching grooves and broken WC grains was among the common signs of the damage for both CG and FG tools.However,it was found that the defects are more intensive in the CG tool.This can be due to the lower boundary strength and less WC connectivity in the CG milling tool.The finer grains also decreased the mean free path in the Co binder and impeded the micro-cracks propagation in the material.

WC-Ni基硬质合金的光固化增材制造

采用光固化增材制造(3D打印)技术制备WC-Ni基硬质合金,研究了浆料配比和增材制造工艺参数对浆料流变性能和固化性能的影响以及WC-Ni基硬质合金的性能。结果表明:当浆料固含量为40%(体积分数)、分散剂为ZN-1344且加入量为粉体质量的2%时,WC-Ni浆料的流变性能满足增材制造工艺需求,当剪切速率为100 s^(-1)时,浆料黏度为2.718 Pa·s;该浆料的最大单层固化厚度可达144μm,对应工艺参数为0.01 mm线间距、90%激光功率和2 000 mm/s扫描速度;采用响应曲面法拟合数据获得的浆料单层固化厚度计算模型,计算值与实际值误差为3.4%,可起理论预测作用;光固化增材制造WC-15%Ni硬质合金的密度和相对密度最高,分别为13.51 g/cm^(3)和96.5%,加入1%晶粒长大抑制剂Cr_(3)C_(2)后,硬质合金维氏硬度显著提高,达到945 HV_(30),接近同等Ni含量但不含有Cr_(3)C_(2)的传统硬质合金硬度。

Phase transformation of nano-grained W(Co, C) composite powder and its phase constitute

A new process of WC-Co cemented carbide was developed by using nano-grained W(Co, C) composite powders as raw materials processed by high-energy ball milling. X-ray diffraction(XRD), differential thermal analysis (DTA), thermo-gravimetric (TG) analysis and coercive forces of the sintered samples were adopted to analyze the phase transformation and constitution, and the microstructures of sintered samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy(SEM). The results show that the as-milled powders are transformed into transitional phases W2C and η (Co3W3C or Co6W6C) during sintering, and finally transformed into WC and Co phases completely at 1 250 ℃ for 30 min, and a large number of fibrous WC grains with about 1.2 μm in length and 100 nm in radial dimension are formed in the sintered body at 1 300 ℃.

复合添加Cr_(3)C_(2)/VC/TaC的WC-12%Co超细晶硬质合金的组织和性能研究

研究了复合添加不同含量的Cr_(3)C_(2)、VC、TaC三种晶粒长大抑制剂对WC-12%Co超细晶硬质合金组织及性能的影响。结果表明,与采用Cr_(3)C_(2)+VC组合晶粒长大抑制剂的合金相比,采用Cr_(3)C_(2)+VC+TaC组合晶粒长大抑制剂的合金的综合力学性能呈降低趋势,但导热性能更好。采用Cr_(3)C_(2)+VC+TaC组合晶粒长大抑制剂的合金的组织和力学性能取决于晶粒长大抑制剂的抑制效果,而不是其添加总量,优化三种抑制剂的配比是提升合金性能的关键。

Cr_(3)C_(2)/VC复合抑制剂比例对WC-10%Co超细晶硬质合金微观结构和力学性能的影响

本文以WC-10%Co为研究对象,添加质量分数1.0%的Cr_(3)C_(2)/VC复合抑制剂,在1410℃下烧结1 h,制备了WC-10%Co-Cr_(3)C_(2)/VC超细晶硬质合金,研究了Cr_(3)C_(2)/VC复合抑制剂比例对物相组成、WC晶粒尺寸和粒度分布、WC三维形貌及力学性能的影响。结果表明:随Cr_(3)C_(2)含量的减少和VC含量的增加,WC平均晶粒尺寸先快速后缓慢减小,WC粒度分布不断变窄;WC形貌由三棱柱向台阶三棱柱转变,WC(0001)晶面上的台阶数量不断增加,这些台阶会显著降低合金的断裂韧性和抗弯强度;WC-10%CoCr_(3)C_(2)/VC超细晶硬质合金的硬度先快速后缓慢增加,而断裂韧性和抗弯强度先快速后缓慢降低;当w(Cr_(3)C_(2))∶w(VC)=4∶1时,WC-10%Co-0.8%Cr_(3)C_(2)-0.2%VC硬质合金具有最优的综合性能,其维氏硬度、断裂韧性和抗弯强度分别为17.05 GPa、9.26 MPa·m^(1/2)和3650 MPa。

超粗晶WC-Co硬质合金制备技术及发展趋势

超粗晶硬质合金因其独特的组织特征,表现出良好的抗冲击性、耐磨性、抗热疲劳性等优势,在凿岩、冲压模具、热轧辊领域具有极大的发展潜力,在硬质合金领域备受关注。本文概述了超粗晶硬质合金的特点及增韧机理,介绍了目前粗颗粒WC原料粉末和超粗晶硬质合金的制备工艺,以及超粗晶硬质合金性能强化方法的探索情况,最后对超粗晶硬质合金的发展趋势提出了几点思考。

添加纳米Ti(C,N)对粗晶WC-8Co硬质合金微观组织和力学性能的影响

将粒度为0.2μm的Ti(C,N)纳米粉末添加到粗晶WC-8Co硬质合金中,采用低压烧结技术制备了WC-xTi(C,N)-8Co系列硬质合金。利用XRD、SEM和EDS研究了添加纳米Ti(C,N)的硬质合金试样的物相组成和微观组织,并分析和讨论了合金的钴磁、矫顽磁力、洛氏硬度和抗弯强度等性能。结果表明,添加纳米Ti(C,N)烧结后的合金均出现了典型的Ti(C,N)芯-环结构,提高了硬质合金的硬度。然而,微量的Ti(C,N)添加会导致合金的力学性能下降,当添加量达到5%时,合金的综合力学性能最好,但当添加量达到15%以上时,基体出现脱碳相,导致合金的抗弯强度大幅下降。

不同粒度WC配比对粗晶硬质合金显微组织和性能的影响

分别采用单一WC粉球磨和采用两种粒度不同WC粉混合球磨的制备工艺制取3批相同配碳量、WC平均晶粒度相近的WC-6%Co粗晶硬质合金,通过分析合金WC晶粒的粒度分布,以及合金的矫顽磁力(H_(c))和断裂韧性(K_(IC)),研究不同制备工艺对合金WC晶粒的粒度分布、矫顽磁力、断裂韧性的影响。结果表明:不同制备工艺对合金的WC晶粒的粒度分布、钴相分散均匀性及断裂韧性有明显的影响。WC平均晶粒度相近时,采用两种WC粉末混合球磨工艺与采用一种WC粉末球磨工艺制取的合金相比,WC晶粒的粒径离差系数分别降低8.9%、15.6%,WC晶粒分布更均匀,合金矫顽磁力提高0.2、0.4 kA/m,合金韧性提升2.5%、10.8%。

硬质合金晶粒度对其表面金刚石涂层的影响

采用热丝化学气相沉积法在不同晶粒度(0.4、0.6、1.0和2.0μm)的YG6硬质合金表面沉积硼掺杂金刚石涂层,通过扫描电镜、X射线衍射仪、拉曼光谱仪及洛氏硬度计对金刚石涂层的形貌、结构、成分、结合性能等进行分析,研究硬质合金晶粒度对金刚石涂层生长和结合性能的影响。结果表明,随硬质合金的晶粒度从0.4μm增大到2.0μm,金刚石的晶粒尺寸逐渐增大且均匀性更好,金刚石拉曼峰和石墨拉曼峰的峰强比(I_(D)/I_(G))从4.74增加到6.53。膜基结合性能与涂层的内应力、金刚石的半峰宽之间都有较好的相关性,均受基体合金晶粒错配度的影响,涂层的内应力还受掺硼的影响。当硬质合金晶粒度为2.0μm时,金刚石涂层的I_(D)/I_(G)比值最大,为6.53;涂层的内应力最小,仅为1.588 GPa;膜基结合性能最优,在600 N压力下达到HF1级。

TaC含量对板状WC晶粒硬质合金显微组织和力学性能的影响

本文以真空烧结法制备了显微组织中含有板状WC晶粒的WC-TaC-Co硬质合金,通过DSC、XRD、SEM、EDS等手段研究了TaC添加量对板状WC晶粒硬质合金显微组织和力学性能的影响规律。结果表明:随着TaC添加量的增加,WC硬质相平均晶粒尺寸先下降再增大,WC硬质相晶粒的平均长厚比先略有上升再减小。随着TaC添加量的增加,抗弯强度下降,硬度、断裂韧性先增加后下降。当TaC添加量为0.5%时,硬质合金具有较优的综合力学性能,其抗弯强度、硬度和断裂韧性分别为:2617MPa、91.5HRA、15.4MPa·m^(1/2)。