• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.392-396
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• 2021

Expensive PCBN or ceramic cutting tools are used for processing of difficult-to-cut materials such as Ti and Ni alloy materials. These tools have the problem of breaking easily due to their high hardness but low fracture toughness. To solve these problems, cutting tools that form various coating layers are used in low-cost WC-Co hard material tools, and research on various tool materials is being conducted. In this study, binderless-WC, WC-6 wt%Co, WC-6 wt%Co-1 wt% Mo₂C, and WC-6 wt%Co-2.5 wt% Mo₂C hard materials are densified using horizontal ball milled WC-Co, WC-Co-Mo₂C powders, and spark plasma sintering process (SPS process). Each SPSed Binderless-WC, WC-6 wt%Co-1 wt% Mo₂C, and WC-6 wt%Co-2.5 wt% Mo₂C hard materials are almost completely dense, with relative density of up to 99.5 % after the simultaneous application of pressure of 60 MPa and almost no significant change in grain size. The average grain sizes of WC for Binderless-WC, WC-6 wt%Co-1 wt% Mo₂C, and WC-6 wt%Co-2.5 wt% Mo₂C hard materials are about 0.37, 0.6, 0.54, and 0.43 ㎛, respectively. Mechanical properties, microstructure, and phase analysis of SPSed Binderless-WC, WC-6 wt%Co-1 wt% Mo₂C, and WC-6 wt%Co-2.5 wt% Mo₂C hard materials are investigated.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.132-137
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• 2019

Tungsten carbide (WC) hard materials are used in various industries and possess a superior hardness compared to other hard materials. They have particularly high melting points, high strength, and abrasion resistance. Accordingly, tungsten carbide hard materials are used for wear-resistant tools, cutting tools, machining tools, and other tooling materials. In this study, the WC-5wt.%Co, Fe, Ni hard materials are densified using the horizontal ball milled WC-Co, WC-Fe, and WC-Ni powders by a spark plasma sintering process. The WC-5Co, WC-5Fe, and WC-5Ni hard materials are almost completely densified with a relative density of up to 99.6% after simultaneous application of a pressure of 60 MPa and an electric current for about 15 min without any significant change in the grain size. The average grain size of WC-5Co, WC-5Fe, and WC-5Ni that was produced through SPS was about 0.421, 0.779, and $0.429{\mu}m$, respectively. The hardness and fracture toughness of the dense WC-5Co, WC-5Fe, WC-5Ni hard materials were also investigated.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.87-107
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• 1993

The grain size of the final products of WC-Co and WC-Ni composite powders is dependent on the size of the starting material and the conditions employed for the reduction and carburization. APT-Co and -Ni com-plex salts were prepared by the substitution reaction between ammonium ions in APT and the metal ions in Co(NO3)2 and Ni(NO3)2 solutions of different concentrations(0.1 to 0.7M) at $50^{\circ}C$ and the grain sizes of the com-plex salts was $0.54~0.76\mu\textrm{m}$. The complex which calcined the complex salts at $700^{\circ}$~80$0^{\circ}C$ for 60min. were 0.2~0.5$\mu\textrm{m}$. W-Co($5.92^{\circ}C$) and -Ni(6.95%) powders which reduced the complex oxides with H2d atmo-sphere(flow rate;600cc/min.) at $700^{\circ}$~$800^{\circ}C$ for 60min. were $0.5~0.6\mu\textrm{m}$. The mean grain sizes of WC-Co and WC-Ni composite powders which carburized both complex metals of W-Co and W-Ni at $800^{\circ}C$ for 60min. were $0.5~0.6\mu\textrm{m}$, and take place the coarsening of the grain above $800^{\circ}C$ and the optmium ratio of C3H8 and H2 was 0.2 for the control of the free carbon. The effect of Co contents on the particle sizes decreased from 0.4 to $0.25\mu\textrm{m}$ with increasing the content from 2.0 to 7.6w%. The activation energies on the reductions of oxides and the formations of carbides were as follows ; W-Co : Q = 8.7 kcal/mole, W-Ni : Q = 8.1 kcal/mole, WC-Co pow-der : Q = 17.8 kcal/mole, WC-Ni powder : Q = 16.6 kcal/mole.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
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• 2006.09a
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• pp.334-335
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• 2006

WC/WC interface in VC mono-doped WC-10mass%Co submicro-grained hardmetals of $0.5\;{\mu}m$ was investigated together with WC/Co interface by using HRTEM and XMA. The thickness of V-rich layer and the analytical value of V at WC/WC interface were almost the same as those at WC/Co interfaces. These results, etc., suggested that the V-rich layers at both interfaces were not generated by an equilibrium segregation mechanism in the sintering stage, but generated by a preferential precipitation mechanism during the solidification of Co liquid phase in the cooling stage. Based on this suggestion, we succeeded in developing a nano-grained hardmetal with 100 nm $(0.1\;{\mu}m)$.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.279-285
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• 1998

The microstructures and mechanical properties of submicron WC-Co cemented carbides were investigated in relation to cobalt content. To inhibit the WC grain growth during sintering, VC was added as a inhibitor in each alloy with 3 mass% to the cobalt content. The WC-(5, 8, 10, 15, 20) mass% Co compacts were sintered at $1400^{\circ}C$ for 30 min in vacuum. Some of WC-(5, 8, 10) mass% Co sintered compacts were HIPed with 120 atm at 130$0^{\circ}C$ for 1 hr. The shrinkages of all HIPed alloys were increased without depending on the cobalt contents and the sintered densities of them. The relative densities of the alloys were increased with the cobalt content and HIPing. The less the cobalt content, the larger the WC grain. Many contiguities of WC grains were found in WC-5 mass% Co alloy. The sizes and numbers of pores in the alloys were decreased by HIPing. And also the strength and the hardness of each alloy were increased. The maximum hardness was about 18.95 GPa in the WC-5 mass% Co alloy HIPed and the maximum transverse-rupture strength (T.R.S.) 3.2 GPa in the WC-20 mass% Co alloy sintered.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.240-245
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• 2018

This study focuses on the fabrication of a WC/Co composite powder from the oxide of WC/Co hardmetal scrap using solid carbon in a hydrogen gas atmosphere for the recycling of WC/Co hardmetal. Mixed powders are manufactured by mechanically milling the oxide powder of WC-13 wt% Co hardmetal scrap and carbon black with varying powder/ball weight ratios. The oxide powder of WC-13 wt% Co hardmetal scrap consists of $WO_3$ and $CoWO_4$. The mixed powder mechanically milled at a lower powder/ball weight ratio (high mechanical milling energy) has a more rapid carbothermal reduction reaction in the formation of WC and Co phases compared with that mechanically milled at a higher powder/ball weight ratio (lower mechanical milling energy). The WC/Co composite powder is fabricated at $900^{\circ}C$ for 6 h from the oxide of WC/Co hardmetal scrap using solid carbon in a hydrogen gas atmosphere. The fabricated WC/Co composite powder has a particle size of approximately $0.25-0.5{\mu}m$.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.88-95
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• 1999

The purpose of this study is to investigate the manufacturing feasibility of WC-Co milling inserts via Powder Injection Molding (PIM) process. WC-Co is used in a wide variety of cutting tools due to its high hardness, stiffness, compressive strength and wear resistance properties. WC-Co parts for a high stress application were conventionally produced by the press and sinter method, which were Iimited to 2 dimensional shapes. Manufacturing WC-Co parts for a high stress application by PIM implies that tool efficiency can be highly improved due to increased freedom is design. P30 grade WC powder (WC-Co-TiC-TaC system) was mixed with RIST-5B133 binder and injection molded into milling inserts (Taegu Tech. Model WCMX 06T 308). The mean grain size of the powder was about 0.8$\mu$m. Injection molded specimens were debound by solvent extraction and thermal degradation method at various conditions. The specimens were sintered at 140$0^{\circ}C$ for 1 hr in vacuum. Carbon content, weight loss, dimensional change, and macro defects of the specimen were carefully monitored at each stage of the PIM process. PIMed WC-Co milling inserts reached 100% full density after sinteing. Its mechanical properties and micro-structures were comparable with the press and sintered milling insert. Carbon content of the sintered WC-Co insert was mainly determained by the atmosphere of thermal debinding. By controlling powder loading and injection molding condition, dimensional accuracy could be obtained within 0.4%. We confirm that PIM can not only be an alternative manufacturing method for WC-Co parts economically but also provide a design freedom for more effieient cutting tools.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.397-402
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• 2021

In this study, binderless-WC, WC-6 wt%Co, WC-6wt% 1 and 2.5 B₄C materials are fabricated by spark plasma sintering process (SPS process). Each fabricated WC material is almost completely dense, with a relative density up to 99.5 % after the simultaneous application of pressure of 60 MPa. The WC added Co and Co-B₄C materials resulted in crystalline growth. The WC with HCP crystal structure has respective interfacial energy (basal facet direction: 1.07 ~ 1.34 J·m^-2, prismatic direction: 1.43 ~ 3.02 J·m^-2) that depends on the grain growth direction. It is confirmed that the continuous grain growth, biased by the basal facet, which has relatively low energy, is promoted at the WC/Co interface. As abnormal grain growth takes place, the grain size increases more than twice from 0.37 to 0.8 um. It is found through analysis that the hardness property also greatly decreases from about 2661.4 to 1721.4 kg/mm², along with the grain growth.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.315-319
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• 2007

Pure WC or WC with low Co concentration less than 0.5 wt.% is studied to fabricate high density WC/Co cemented carbide using vacuum sintering and post HIP process. Considering the high melting point of WC, it is difficult to consolidate it without the use of Co as binder. In this study, the effect of lower Co addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties evolution of WC/CO was investigated. By HIP process after vacuum sintering, hardness and density was sharply increased. The hardness values was $2,800kgf/mm^2$ using binderless WC.

• Proceedings of the Korean Ceranic Society Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.25.1-25
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• 2002