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 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 .

Manufacture of the Ultrafine Grain WC/Co Cemented Carbides by Combined Sintering Processing

A new kind of sintering process, combined sintering process. i.e. vacuum sintering plus hot isolate pressure sintering (HIP), was introduced for producing ultrafine WC-10% Co (mass fraction. so as the follows) cemented carbides. The effects of some processing parameters on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the obtained cemented carbides were studied. The results show that the rapid shrinkage and the pronounced densification of tile cemented carbides took place during the vacuum sintering stage, which is intinaately correlated with the local liquid sintering occurred during this earl} sintering stage for the high surface activity of ultrafine WC-Co powder. The way of high pressure imposing. isothermal treatment cycle during ac.acuum sintering and HIP sintering stage directly influence the densitication of compacts and the mechanical properties of the produced WC-10%Co cemented carbides.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Brazing behavior of ultrafine cemented carbide with stainless steel

In order to investigate the effects of brazing temperature, heating rate and cooling methods on shear strength, hardness, magnetic saturation and coercivity of the ultrafine cemented carbide, the ultrafine cemented carbide was fabricated according to conventional powder metallurgical procedures, and then brazed to the stainless steel with silver-based filler alloy by supersonic frequency induction brazing. The microstructure was observed using scanning electron microscope （SEM）, energy dispersive spectroscopy （EDS） and the magnetic properties were tested utilizing coercimeter and cobalt magnetism instrument. The results show that no micro-crack is found in the cemented carbide after brazing because of silver-based sandwich compound used as filler alloy. In the melted silver layer, there is more carbon in the region adjacent to the cemented carbide. Varied shear strengths, hardnesses, magnetic saturations and coercivities are present under different brazing temperatures, heating rates and coolings. This phenomenon is correlated with some factors such as wettability and fluidity of filler alloy, brazing stress, oxidation of cemented carbide, and allotrope transition of cobalt. Shear strength reaches the maximum of 340 MPa and hardness of ultrafine cemented carbide remains 1879 HV at the brazing temperature of 730℃. The carbon increases with the of increase of the heating rate. What＇s more, and there is no r/phase found under this condition. content decreases with the increase of brazing temperature, and it the lowest magnetic saturation reaches 81.8% of the theoretic value,

Effect of stress ratio on fatigue lifetime and crack growth behavior of WC-Co cemented carbide

Two types of fatigue tests, a rotating bending fatigue test and a three- or four-point bending fatigue test, were carried out on a fine grained WC-Co cemented carbide to evaluate its fatigue crack growth behavior and fatigue lifetime. From successive observations of the specimen surface during the fatigue process, it was revealed that most of the fatigue lifetime of the tested WC-Co cemented carbide was occupied with crack growth cycles. Using the basic equation of fracture mechanics, the relationship between the fatigue crack growth rate(da/dN) and the maximum stress intensity factor(Kmax) was derived. From this relation, both the values of the threshold intensity factor(Kth) and the fatigue fracture toughness(Kfc) of the material were determined. The fatigue lifetime of the WC-Co cemented carbide was estimated by analysis based on the modified linear elastic fracture mechanics approach. Good agreement between the estimated and experimental fatigue lifetimes was confirmed.

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.

Phase Analysis of Cemented Carbide WC-Co Boronised with Yttrium

Phase analysis for the coated surface with B 4C and Y 2O 3 of cemented carbide WC-20Co in vacuum-heating was carried out by high-temperature X-ray diffraction from ambient temperature to 1300 ℃. The results show that, the high-concentration active boron atoms are released from the boron-supply agent B 4C located on the alloy surface and diffused into the γ-phase, leading to forming the three-element boron-bearing compound W 2Co 21B 6 beside forming boron-bearing compounds on the blank surface. By contrast with boronising only, the element yttrium in boronization broadens the boronising temperature range during vacuum-sintering, catalyzes the decarbonisation decomposition of B 4C and promotes diffusion of active boron atoms into the bulk of WC-Co.

Material Removal Behavior and Surface Integrity in Grinding of UltrafineGrained WC-Co Materials

Due to the excellent combination of wear resistance and fracture toughness,the ultrafine-grained WC-Co composites can significantly improve the durability and reliability of industrial tools.However,the grinding of ultrafine-grained WC-Co remains a challenge.In order to provide an experimental basis for improving grinding quality of ultrafine-grained WC-Co,a series of surface grinding experiments on ultrafine-grained WC-Co hardmetals were conducted by diamond wheel under various grinding conditions,and the material removal behavior and surface integrity in grinding of ultrafine-grained WC-Co materials were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray microstress analyzer and surface roughness analyzer in this paper.The results indicate that the material removal behavior in grinding of ultrafine-grained WC-Co materials is determined not only by the abrasive grain size on the wheel,but also by the depth of cut.The roughness values of ground surface increase with increasing grit size of diamond wheel,and increase initially,then decrease with increase in depth of cut.Grinding causes the residual compressive stress in the surface layer of ground cemented carbides under various grinding conditions;the magnitude of residual surface stress increases with increasing grit size of diamond wheel,and isn't changed obviously along with the change of depth of cut.

Microstructure and properties of ultrafine WC-Co-VC cemented carbides with different Co contents

Ultrafine WC-Co-VC cemented carbides are used extensively in a variety of industrial environments due to their excellent mechanical properties and outstanding wear resistance.Co content affects the service performance of the cemented carbides.In the present study,the influ-ences of Co content on microstructure,physical,and mechanical properties were investigated systematically.Ultrafine WC-Co-VC cemented carbides with Co content varying from 4 wt%and 7 wt%and assistance of VC(0.35 wt%)as inhibitor of WC grain growth were prepared.The physical and mechanical properties were tested and the microstructure characteristics were observed by optical microscope(OM)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM).From the results,it is found that with Co content increasing,both the cobalt magnetism and bending strength increase,while the coercive force,Rockwell hardness,density,and abrasive wear resistance decrease.In addition,the OM and SEM results show that the increase of Co content in WC-Co-VC cemented carbides tends to reduce the quantity and size of micro-pores,and make the fracture mode change from brittle fracture to ductile fracture.

MICROSTRUCTURES OF ULTRAFINE WC POWDERS

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超细WC-Co硬质合金粉末的制备及其致密化研究

以超细碳化钨(WC)、氯化钴(CoCl2.6H2O)和柠檬酸钠(C6H5O7Na3.2H2O)为原料,水合肼(N2H4.H2O)为还原剂,使用液相还原法制备超细WC-Co硬质合金粉末,并通过低压烧结使其致密化,制得力学性能良好的WC-Co硬质合金。考察了反应体系温度对硬质合金粉包覆率、反应时间对包覆效果的影响,采用SEM、TEM、XRD等手段对硬质合金粉进行了表征,确定了制备超细WC-Co硬质合金粉的优化工艺条件,并对比了不同规格的WC-Co硬质合金烧结体的力学性能。结果表明,此方法制得的WC-Co硬质合金粉纯度高,粒径均匀,无团聚,低压烧结后所得硬质合金烧结体力学性能良好。

抑制剂对WC-Co硬质合金涂层性能的影响

利用原位还原碳化反应合成的超细WC-12Co复合粉末作为原料,分别添加1.0wt%晶粒长大抑制剂即VC、Cr3C2和Nb C,经团聚造粒和超音速火焰(HVOF)喷涂制备了超细结构的硬质合金涂层。研究了不同晶粒长大抑制剂对涂层的显微组织结构、物相、硬度、耐磨性能和耐蚀性能的影响。结果表明,与未添加晶粒长大抑制剂涂层相比,添加1.0wt%VC或Cr_3C_2制备的硬质合金涂层中WC颗粒的平均尺寸降低了约49%,涂层硬度明显提高,磨损速率降低了约52%~55%。添加1.0wt%Nb C对制备涂层中WC颗粒尺寸的抑制作用不明显,Co粘结相中由于形成了(W,Nb)C化合物,其耐蚀性获得显著提高,但该化合物脆性大,导致涂层耐磨性不及添加VC和Cr3C2制备的涂层。

V和Cr对超细WC-Co硬质合金Co粘结相成分与WC/Co界面组织结构的影响

采用粉末冶金法制备WC-30Co,WC-30Co-1VC和WC-30Co-1Cr3C2硬质合金（成分含量为质量分数,下同）,分别采用随炉冷却和水淬2种方式进行冷却,采用电子探针分析技术和高分辨率透射电镜,分析合金的Co相成分以及WC/Co界面结构,研究V和Cr元素对WC-30Co合金的Co粘结相成分与WC/Co界面结构的影响。结果表明：VC抑制晶粒长大的效果比Cr3C2更明显;在1 280~1 360℃下烧结时,V和Cr的添加可提高W在Co相中的固溶量,而在1 400℃烧结时,对W在Co相中的固溶量影响不大。水淬态合金的WC/Co界面发现层状的含Cr和V的析出相,且含V析出相的厚度明显大于含Cr析出相的厚度;可以推断界面析出相是在烧结过程而并非冷却过程中形成的;析出相的形成是Cr3C2和VC抑制WC晶粒长大的重要原因。

超细WC-Co复合粉的原位反应合成及烧结致密化

以微米级蓝钨(WO2.9)、四氧化三钴(Co3O4)和炭黑(C)为原料,采用真空原位还原碳化反应制备超细WC-Co复合粉末,经过真空烧结得到WC-Co合金块体。利用扫描电镜、X射线衍射仪观察和分析复合粉末及合金显微形貌及物相组成,研究原料粉末中配碳量对WC-Co复合粉及合金物相与力学性能的影响。结果表明:所得平均粒径为300 nm的超细WC-Co复合粉末的主相均为WC和Co相,含有少量的η相(Co3W3C);原料粉末中配碳量(质量分数)为16.69%较为合适,此时可获得物相纯净、平均晶粒尺寸470 nm的超细晶WC-Co硬质合金,合金的横向断裂强度为2 464 MPa;原料粉末中配碳量为16.85%时,合金中存在少量的游离碳,横向断裂强度只有1 946 MPa。