Abstract
Nanosized WC and WC-Co powders were synthesised by chemical vapor condensation(CVC) process using the pyrolysis of tungsten hexacarbonyl(W(CO)$_6$) and cobalt octacarbonyl(Co$_2$(CO)$_8$). The microstructural changes and phase evolution of the CVC powders during post heat-treatment were studied using the XRD, FE-SEM, TEM, and ICP-MS. CVC powders were consisted of the loosely agglomerated sub-stoichimetric WC$_{1-x}$ and the long-chain Co nanopowders. The sub-stochiometric CVC WC and WC-Co powders were carburized using the mixture gas of CH$_4$-H$_2$ in the temperature range of 730-85$0^{\circ}C$. Carbon content of CVC powder controlled by the gas phase carburization at 85$0^{\circ}C$ was well matched with the theoretical carbon sioichiometry of WC, 6.13 wt%. During the gas phase carburization, the particle size of WC increased from 20 nm to 40 nm and the long chain structure of Co powders disappeared.