• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.196-200
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• 1996

The dispersion of WC grains Into the interior of an eutectic liquid has been studied by superimposing the eutectic WC-85wt.%Co liquid on the top surface of presintered WC-l0wt.%Co alloy compacts. The heavy WC grains diffused into the interior of liquid from the WC-l0wt.%Co compacts. According to increasing the treating temperatures and times, the dispersion distance from WC-l0wt.%Co substrates increased. The fine WC grains diffused into the liquid faster than the coarse WC grains. The high microstructural stability of WC-Co alloys having the heavier WC grains dispersed in a lighter Co-rich liquid was attributed to Brownian motion of WC grains in liquid. The motion of WC grains in the liquid appears to be same with the colloid(the disperse phase) in a dispersing medium. The dihedral angle of 0 degree of WC-Co at. toy seems one of key parameters, which enables the WC-Co alloys to have high structural stability without settling the WC grains during liquid phase sintering.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.10 no.9
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• pp.612-618
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• 2000

The WC/WC grain boundary structure and intergranular segregation in WC-Co and WC-VC-Co cemented carbides were investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in order to elucidate whether contiguous boundaries were present or not at the atomic level. Some grain boundaries were separated by liquid phase, while others were contiguous at the atomic level. Cobalt was found to be segregated to WC/WC grain boundaries in WC-Co. Cobalt and vanadium were co-segregated to grain boundaries in WC-VC-Co. The segregation width in both materials was about 6 nm. These results suggest that the vanadium present in contiguous boundaries acts as an effective barrier to the migration of boundaries during sintering and annealing. This could explain the grain growth inhibiting mechanism of VC added to WC-Co.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.438-444
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• 2000

The prediction of mechanical properties for WC-Co alloys by evaluation of coercive force and magnetic saturation were studied in relation to their microstructure. The WC-8%Co alloys were prepared using different WC particle size, carbon content and various sintering temperature by PM process. The magnetic properties such as coercive force and magnetic saturation of sintered WC-Co alloys were critically dependent upon their final composition and microstructure. Slight changes of carbon contents and small variation of WC grain size result in marked changes of magnetic properties, hardness and transverse rupture strength of sintered WC-Co alloys. It was found that the coercive force and hardness were increased by fine WC grain size of sinterd alloys, and the coercive force was proportional to hardness. With decreasing total carbon content below the stoichiometric value in WC-8%Co alloys the volume fraction of $\eta$ phase increased steadily, while the magnetic saturation and transverse rupture strength decreased. The magnetic saturation was inversely proportional to the coercive force of WC-Co alloys.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.42 no.3 s.274
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• pp.171-177
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• 2005

The effect of variation in particle size of WC and Co powder on the properties of WC-Co alloys was investigated. WC and Co powders having different particle sizes were used in the fabrication of $WC-10\;wt\%$Co composites. High hardness and low fracture toughness alloy was obtained with the decrease in WC particle size regardless of Co particle size. It was newly found in this investigation that the initial particle size of Co as well as WC had a great role in the microstructure and properties of WC-Co hard materials. The average grain size and fracture toughness of WC-Co alloys using same WC powder size increased and their hardness decreased with the use of relatively finer Co binder.

• 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.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.16 no.1
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• pp.56-62
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• 2009

The degree of WC decomposition and hardness of thermally sprayed WC-Co coatings are important factors determining the wear resistance of the coatings. In order to minimize the degree of decomposition and to increase hardness, the effects of processing parameters of high velocity oxyfuel(HVOF) spraying on various characteristics of nanostructured WC-12Co coating have been evaluated by an experimental design method. The HVOF sprayed WC-12Co coatings consisted of various carbide phases including WC, $W_2C$ and $W_3Co_3C$, with a much reduced carbon content. The degree of WC decomposition and decarburization was affected by changing barrel length and spray distance. The hardness of WC-Co coatings was strongly related to droplet temperature at substrate, and increased with increasing fuel addition and/or decreasing spray distance. The effective control of processing parameters was discussed in detail for manufacturing a high performance WC-Co coating.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.1392-1400
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• 1995

WC-10wt%Co-Al2O3 ceramic composites, using both the SHS (Self-propagating High Temperature Synthesis) synthesized WC powder method and commercial WC powder, were prepared by varing WC-Co/Al2O3 vol% ratio and sintering temperature (1350℃∼1650℃) for 1 hr in Ar atmosphere. Mechanical characterization has been investigated by Instron meterial testing system and Vicker's hardness test. Compositional and structural chracterizations were carried out by energy-dispersive analysis of X-ray (EDAX) data and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Electrical characterization was carried out by the electrical resistivity measurement using 4-point probe method. As sintering period increased and Al2O3 contents decreased in WC-10wt%Co-Al2O3 ceramic composite, shrinkage and relative density increased, resulting in maximum values at 1600℃. Also the major matrix phase changed with increasing Al2O3 content from 0 to 100 vol%. It was also identified by SEM, EDAX, and electrical resistivity measurement. Based on the results of analysis of flexural strength, toughness and hardness, the mechanical properties of WC-10wt%Co-Al2O3 ceramic composites using the SHS synthesized WC powder were better than those WC-10wt%Co-Al2O3 ceramic composites using commercial WC powder because WC-10wt%Co-Al2O3 ceramic composites using the SHS synthesized WC powder were sintered very well due to small initial particle size. By the addition of 40 vol% Al2O3 [60(WC=10wt%Co)-40Al2O3], it was possible to obtain a proper candidate as a superalloy.

• 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 Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.165-171
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• 2002

TiN coating were deposited onto different WC-Co substrates using arc ion plating (AIP) technique. The structure and morphology for the deposited coating were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The adhesion behavior of the deposited TiN coating was investigated with a conventional scratch test. Effects of WC particle size and Co content on the adhesion strength between the deposited TiN coating and substrate were studied. During the scratch test, the value of critical load was dependent of WC particle size and Co content on substrate. As the WC particle size and Co content on substrate decreased, the critical load increased. The highest critical load, approximately 110N, was obtained at WC particle size of 1$\mu\textrm{m}$ and Co content of 10wt.%.