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.

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.

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.

PERFORMANCE OF BRAZED DIAMOND CUP-TYPE WHEELS WITH DEFINED GRAIN PATTERN IN GRINDING CEMENTED CARBIDE

A new cup-type grinding wheel of the brazed monolayer diamond is developed with a defined grain pattern on the wheel surface. Grinding performance of the brazed wheel in the surface grinding of cemented carbide is studied. Experimental results show that when continuous dry grinding is employed, grits of the brazed diamond grinding wheel fail mainly in attritious wear and fracture modes and no pull-out ones are found in conventional electroplated and sintered diamond wheels. It indicates the strong retention of brazing alloy to diamond grits and the longer service life of the wheel. In addition, the ground surface has good roughness. The theoretical surface roughness agrees well with experimental results.

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.

Research and Development of Cemented Carbide Multifacet Drill for Drilling High Strength Steel

Aim To research on a solid cemented carbide multi facet drill for drilling high strength steel. Methods Assimilating some features of multi facet drill edge structures, through systematic drilling experiments, a new type of solid cemented carbide drill was developed and the drill geometry was optimized. Results With the new type drill,the drilling force decreases by 10%-20%, the drilling productivity (drilled holes per hour) increases by 2-3 times, and the drilling precision and surface finish increase by one level. Conclusion The new type drill possesses excellent drilling 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.

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.

Effects of nano-Al_2O_3 and nano-ZrO_2 on the microstructure, behavior and abrasive wear resistance of WC-8Co cemented carbide

WC-8wt.% Co cemented carbides with varied nano-Al 2 O 3 and nano-ZrO 2 contents were prepared respectively following conventional powder metallurgical procedures. Effects of nano-Al 2 O 3 and nano-ZrO 2 on the microstructure, behavior, and abrasive wear resistance were investigated. The result shows that a finer and more homogenous microstructure can be achieved by increasing nano-Al 2 O 3 , and increasing nano-ZrO 2 makes the microstructure more refined. Nano-Al 2 O 3 and nano-ZrO 2 could both help to give increased hardness. Transverse rupture strength is higher if the above nano-oxides are doped appropriately, whereas excess addition is deleterious. Abrasive wear resistance presents different variations with respect to increasing nano-Al 2 O 3 and nano-ZrO 2 . By contrast, increasing nano-ZrO 2 enhances the abrasive wear resistance more effectively than increasing nano-Al 2 O 3 . The influence of the two nano-oxides contents on the abrasive wear resistance does not almost vary with wear time, and the optimum addition level of nano-Al 2 O 3 in WC-8% Co cemented carbide is 0.3 wt.% from the stand of abrasive wear resistance. In addition, both of the nano-oxides can retard the increase of wear rate in long-term abrasive wear.

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.

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.

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.

Rare Earth Doped New Cemented Carbide with Ni-Co Binder for Mining

A method, doping WC with La(NO 3) 3, of producing cemented carbide with rare earth was introduced. The effects of lanthanum on the mechanical properties and microstructure of WC 9(Co 75%Ni) cemented carbide were studied and a rock drilling experiment was carried out.The experimental results show that both transverse rupture strength (TRS) and hardness of WC 9(Co 75%Ni) rare earth cemented carbides can match that of WC 9Co cemented carbide, when La 2O 3 / (Co+Ni) ratio is 0.3%, the abnormal growth of WC grain in the cemented carbide can be restrained effectively, the homogeneity of grain size in microstructure and the wear resistance are improved, which can be matchable to that of WC 9Co cemented carbide for mining.

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.

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.

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.

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.