• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
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• 2006.09a
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• pp.348-349
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• 2006

The plastic deformation behavior of cemented carbides is related to the WC grain boundary strength. Ab initio calculations predict that Co and Mn segregate to WC/WC grain boundaries. To experimentally study the effect of Mn, a WC-Co-Mn material was manufactured and compared to a WC-Co material. The microstructure was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), including electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Special attention was paid to the WC grain size and the frequency of special low-energy grain boundaries. Mn was found to have negligible effect on both the WC grain growth and the fraction of $\sum2$ WC/WC boundaries in the as-sintered material.

• 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.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
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• 2006.09a
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• pp.640-641
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• 2006

To improve the mechanical properties of WC-Co cemented carbides, the dual composite was studied. The compositions of granule and matrix were nano-sized WC-6 wt% Co(granule) and normal sized WC-20 wt% Co(matrix), respectively. The granules were grouped 50, 100 and $150\;{\mu}m$ and mixed with WC and Co powders as the volume fractions of granule to matrix were 50 to 50, 40 to 60 and 30 to 70. These compacts were sintered at $1380^{\circ}C$ for 10 minutes in vacuum. The microstructure, transverse rupture strength and wear resistance were investigated.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
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• 1995.04a
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• pp.35-35
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• 1995

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.307-313
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• 1999

The effect of carbon content on the shape of WC grains dispersed in the Co-rich matrix during liquid phase sintering of WC-35%Co hard metals has been determined. The shape of WC grains was observed using SEM stereography after removing cobalt matrix with boiling hydrochloric acid solution. The WC grains changed from hexagonal to trigonal prism as the carbon content increased in the two-phase region of(WC + $\beta$ - Co), while the morphology of WC grains changed from trigonal to hexagonal shape as the carbon content decreased. The morphology of WC grains changes reversibly along with carbon loss or carbon pick-up. Morphology change of WC grains is attributed to crystal structure of WC, which has an asymmetric array of carbon atoms. There are two types of prismatic planes having different numbers of broken W-C bonds in WC grains. It is scrutinized that as the carbon content increases, the high energy prism planes grow fast and the crystals change from hexagonal to trigonal shape. On the other hand, when the carbon content decreases, the high energy prism planes are dissolved accompanying split of (100) plane into (101) and (101) planes.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
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• 2006.09a
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• pp.625-626
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• 2006

In the present study, the focus is on the synthesis of nanosized WC powder by the chemical vapor condensation proces. The synthesized W-C system powder by the CVC process shows W2C, W, WO3 phases and can not shows WC phase. After recarburization heat treatment under mixture gas atmosphere of argon and hydrogen gases, the synthesized W-C system powder fully transformed to the pure WC. The synthesized WC powder after recarburization heat treatment has an average particle size of 20 nm. The nano-sized WC powder can be prepared by the combination of the CVC process and heat treatment methods.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.108-117
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• 2003

WC and dense WC-10 vol%Co materials with grain size of~1${\mu}m$ were synthesized by high-frequency induction heated combustion synthesis (HFIHCS) method in one step from elemental powders of W, C and Co within several minutes. Simultaneous combustion synthesis and densification were accomplished under the combined effects of an induced current and mechanical pressure. In the absence of cobalt additive, WC can be formed, but its relative density was low (about 73%) under simultaneous application of a 60 MPa pressure and the induced current. However, in the presence of 10 vol.%Co, the relative density increased to 99% under the same experimental condition. The percentages of the total shrinkage occurring before and during the synthesis reaction of WC-10 vol.%Co were 5% and 51%, respectively. The fracture toughness and hardness values of WC-10 vol.%Co were 10 MPa . m$^{1/2}$ and 1840 kg/$mm^2$, respectively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
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• 2006.09a
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• pp.629-630
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• 2006

To investigate sliding friction and wear behaviors of WC-Co/WC-Co pairs containing different WC grain sizes, the ball-on-disc test in air were carried out, where WC grain sizes a $0.5\;{\mu}m$ (F.G.) and $1.5\;{\mu}m$ (C.G.). The wear volume of F.G. pin for F.G. pin/C.G. disc is larger than that of F.G. pin for F.G. pin/F.G. disc due to higher friction coefficient, and the surfaces after wear test are richer in oxygen compared to those before test. Furthermore, the wear debris, which is composed of nona-scale grain, after the wear test are remarkably richer in oxygen than to those before test.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 1999.10a
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• pp.297-298
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• 1999

Cemented carbides material (WC-Co hard alloy) were recognized very important and expensive tool or die assembly parts because of compose for the main elements of rare metal (W and Co etc). This research was developed to separate and recover of WC fine powder contained by WC-Co materials. Recycling process was a new method named by the Tin impregnation for decobaltification on cemented carbides. This reaction occurred to product a brittle Co-Sn intermetallic compounds, thereafter it carried out by acid cleaning solution and physical milling or powdering. New process was able to recover about 60％ WC fine powder from 1 to 5 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.273-279
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• 2002

In this study, the WC-10 wt.%Co nanopowders doped by grain growth inhibiter were produced by three different methods based on the spray conversion process. Agglomerated powders with homeogenous distribution of alloying elements and with internal particles of about 100-200 nm in diameter were synthesized. The microstructural changes and sintering behavior of hardmetal compacts were compared with doping method and sintering conditions. The microstructure of hardmetals was very sensitive to doping methods of inhibitor. Nanostructured WC-Co hardmetal powder compacts containing TaC/VC doped by chemical method instead of ball-milling shown superior sintering densification, and the microstructure maintained ultrafine scale with rounded WC particles.