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.

Surface hardening of Fe-based alloy powders by Nd:YAG laser cladding followed by electrospark deposition with WC-Co cemented carbide

This paper presents the results of a study concerned with the surface hardening of Fe-based alloys and WC-8Co cemented carbide by inte- grating laser cladding and the electrospark deposition processes. Specimens of low carbon steel were processed firstly by laser cladding with Fe-based alloy powders and then by electrospark deposition with WC-SCo cemented carbide. It is shown that, for these two treatments, the electrospark coating possesses finer microstructure than the laser coating, and the thickness and surface hardness of the electrospark coating can be substantially increased.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of(Ti,Al,Zr)N/(Ti,Al,Zr,Cr)N films on cemented carbide substrates

（Ti,Al,Zr）N/（Ti,Al,Zr,Cr）N bilayer films were deposited on cemented carbide （WC-8%Co） substrates by multi-arc ion plating （MAIP） using two Ti-AI-Zr alloy targets and one pure Cr target. To investigate the composition, morphology, and crystalline structure of the bilayer films, a number of complementary methods of elemental and structural analysis were used, namely, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, energy disperse X-ray spectroscopy （EDS）, and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. Adhesive strength and mechanical properties of the films were evaluated by scratch testing and Vickers microindentation, respectively. It is shown that the resulting films have a TiN-type face-centered cubic （FCC） structure. The films exhibit fully dense, uniform, and columnar morphology. Furthermore, as the bias voltages vary from -50 to -200 V, the microhardness （max. Hv001 4100） and adhesive strength （max. 〉 200 N） of the bilayer films are superior to those of the （Ti,Al,Zr）N and （Ti,Al,Zr, Cr）N monolayer films.

Action of New Rare Earth Additions in Cemented Carbide

The existence form and distribution of new rare earth additions in WC-Co,WC-TiC-Co.Cemented carbide and its actions of purification,modificaiton,solid solution strengthening and restraining phase transformation have been investigated.The results have been used to elucidate property im- provement of the alloys.

Effect of Plasma Boronitriding on Diamond Nucleation and Growth onto Cemented Carbide Substrates

Plasma boronitriding has been successfully employed to overcome the difficulty in diamond growth on ferrous-based substrates. Commercial cobalt-sintered, tungsten-cemented carbides (WC(Co)) were pretreated by a plasma boronitriding method, diamond was then deposited by microwave-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD). The deposited films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Continuous diamond films with a sharp characteristic Raman peak of 1334 cm-1 were grown and adhered well on the boronitrided region of the cemented carbide substrates. On the other hand, a mixture of diamond crystallites, amorphous carbon and graphitic carbon was loosely deposited on the unboronitrided region. A cobalt inert thin layer formed after plasma boronitriding pretreatment enabled the subsequent nucleation and growth of a high-quality CVD diamond.

The eta phases and mechanical properties of TIG welded joints of WC-Co cemented carbide and steel

The tungsten-inert-gas (TIG) arc welding experiments of cemented carbide YG30 and steel 45 were carried out using the Ni-Fe-C filling alloys. The eta phases and mechanical properties of welded joints were analyzed by means of scanning electronic microscope (SEM), transmission electronic microscope (TEM) coupled with selected diffraction, electronic probe microanalysis and bending strength methods. The experimental results show that the chemical composition of the filling alloys affects eta phase formation. When the carbon and nickel contents in filling alloys are 0.61 wt% and 55.29 wt%, respectively, no eta phases form. And the joint bending strength is the highest to 1.352 GPa. But if they are 0.01wt% and 55.38wt%, the eta phases are formed at the boundaries of the cemented carbide and the weld, and the thickness of eta phase layer is about 110 micrometers. And the joint bending strength is low. Usually, these eta phases are anomalously granular, and easy to accumulate at the boundaries between cemented carbides and the weld. They are multiple M_6C rich in tungsten and iron.

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.

Research on Ultrafine WC-10Co Cemented Carbide with High Propertie

WC- 10Co nanocomposite powder produced by spray pyrolysis-continuoas reduction and carbonization technology was used, and the vacuum sinteriag plus sinterhip process was cdopted to prepare ultrafine WCCo cemented carbide. The microstructure, grain size, porosity, density, Rockwell A hardness （ HRA ）, transverse rupture strength （ TRS ） , saturated magnetization and coercivity force were studied. The experimental results show that average grain size of the sample prepared by vacuum sintering plas sinterhip technology was about 420 nm, transverse rupture strength was more than 3460 MPa, and Rockwell A hardness of sintered specimen was more than 92.5. Ultrafine WC- 10Co cemented carbide with high strength and high hardness is obtained.

Microstructure and Properties of Gradient Cemented Carbide with Nano-TiN

Gradient cemented carbides with nano-TiN were prepared by the common powder metallurgical procedure. The formation of gradient zone and the microstructure, properties of the alloys were investigated using scanning electron microscope（SEM）, energy dispersive spectroscopy（EDS） and other performance testing apparatus. Moreover, the effect of nano-TiN on the gradient cemented carbide was studied. It is found that gradient zone width increases slightly with nano-TiN introduction. Both cobalt and titanium concentrations reach the maximum near the gradient border. Tungsten concentration shows fluctuation from the surface to the bulk. （Ti ,W）C phase grains are refined for nitrogen introduction. Core-rim structure has been observed under the SEM back-scattered mode. The core appears as dark due to more titanium in it and the rim with more tungsten appears as grey. In addition, the hardness and transverse rupture strength of gradient cemented carbide are enhanced with nano-TiN introduced.

Wear Mechanism of Cemented Carbide Tool in High Speed Milling of Stainless Steel

Adhesion of cutting tool and chip often occurs when machining stainless steels with cemented carbide tools. Wear mechanism of cemented carbide tool in high speed milling of stainless steel 0Cr13Ni4 Mo was studied in this work. Machining tests on high speed milling of 0Cr13Ni4 Mo with a cemented carbide tool are conducted. The cutting force and cutting temperature are measured. The wear pattern is recorded and analyzed by high?speed camera, scanning electron microscope(SEM) and energy dispersive X?ray spectroscopy(EDS). It is found that adhesive wear was the dominant wear pattern causing tool failure. The process and microcosmic mechanism of the tool’s adhesive wear are analyzed and discussed based on the experimental results. It is shown that adhesive wear of the tool occurs due to the wear of coating, the a nity of elements Fe and Co, and the grinding of workpiece materials to the tool material. The process of adhesive wear includes both microcosmic elements di usion and macroscopic cyclic process of adhe?sion, tearing and fracture.

Wear Mechanism of WC-Co Cemented Carbide Tool in Cutting Ti-6Al-4V Based on Thermodynamics

In order to optimize the tool coating material and reduce the tool wear rate,the coating material and wear mechanism for carbide tools are proposed and analyzed based on thermodynamics theory.We deduced the Gibbs free energy function method and analyzed the enthalpy value of the coating material of cemented carbide tools.The rules of diffusion wear and oxidation wear for WC-Co-based carbide tools were analyzed based on the diffusion dissolution theory and the calculation method of the thermal effect of chemical reaction.The diffusion wear and oxidation wear of WC-Co-based carbide tools when machining Ti-6Al-4V were studied with SEM-EDS.The results indicate that a good prediction accuracy of both diffusion wear and oxidation wear can be achieved by the method of thermodynamic theory analysis method.The conclusion will provide useful references for the optimization of cutting parameters and the improvement of the tool life.

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.