• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.41-42
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• 2003

Using a developed high-frequency induction heated combustion method. the simultaneous synthesis and densification of WC-xvol.%Co($0{\leq}x{\leq}20$) hard materials was accomplished using elemental powders of W, C and Co. A complete synthesis and densification of the materials was achieved in one step within a duration of 1min. The final relative densities of the composite were over 98.5% for all cases, under the applied pressure of 60 MPa and the induced current. The hardness of the composites decreases and the fracture toughness increases with increasing cobalt content. As the carbon to tungsten ration increases, the hardness increase, but the fracture toughness decreases. The maximum values for the fracture toughness and hardness are 15.1 $MPa{\cdot}m^{1/2}$(at 20vol.%Co, W:C=1:1), and 1928 $kg/mm^{2}$(at 5vol.%Co, W:C=1:1.3), respectively. Therefore we concluded that the HFIHCS method. which can produce WC-xvol.%Co within 1 minute in one step is superior to conventional ones.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.58.1-58.1
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• 2011

WC-Co and other similar cemented carbides have been widely used as hard materials in industrial cutting tools and as mould metals; and a number of techniques have been applied to improve its microstructural characteristics, hardness and ear resistance. Cobalt is used primarily to facilitate liquid phase sintering and acts as a matrix, i.e. a cementing phase between WC grains. A uniform distribution of metal phase in a ceramic is beneficial for improved mechanical properties of the composite. WC-Co, starting from initial powders, is vastly used for a variety of machining, cutting, drilling, and other applications because of its unique combination of high strength, high hardness, high toughness, and moderate modulus of elasticity, especially with fine grained WC and finely distributed cobalt. In this study, that started with two different compositions of initial powders, WC-7.5wt%Co and WC-12wt%Co with initial powder size being 1~3 ${\mu}m$, magnetic pulsed compaction followed by subsequent vacuum sintering were carried out to produce consolidated preforms. Magnetic Pulsed Compaction (MPC), a very short duration (~600 ${\mu}s$), high pressure (~4 Gpa), high-density preform molding method was used with varied pressure between 0.5 and 3.0 Gpa, in order to reach an initial high density that would help improve the sintering behavior. For both compositions and varied MPC pressure, before and after sintering, changes in microstructural behavior and mechanical properties were analyzed. With proper combination of MPC pressure and sintering, samples were obtained with better mechanical properties, densification and microstructural behavior, and considerably improved than other conventional processes.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.282-286
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• 2016

A sintered body of $TiB_2$-reinforced iron matrix composite ($Fe-TiB_2$) is fabricated by pressureless-sintering of a mixture of titanium hydride ($TiH_2$) and iron boride (FeB) powders. The powder mixture is prepared in a planetary ball-mill at 700 rpm for 3 h and then pressurelessly sintered at 1300, 1350 and $1400^{\circ}C$ for 0-2 h. The optimal sintering temperature for high densities (above 95% relative density) is between 1350 and $1400^{\circ}C$, where the holding time can be varied from 0.25 to 2 h. A maximum relative density of 96.0% is obtained from the ($FeB+TiH_2$) powder compacts sintered at $1400^{\circ}C$ for 2 h. Sintered compacts have two main phases of Fe and $TiB_2$ along with traces of TiB, which seems to be formed through the reaction of TiB2 formed at lower temperatures during the heating stage with the excess Ti that is intentionally added to complete the reaction for $TiB_2$ formation. Nearly fully densified sintered compacts show a homogeneous microstructure composed of fine $TiB_2$ particulates with submicron sizes and an Fe-matrix. A maximum hardness of 71.2 HRC is obtained from the specimen sintered at $1400^{\circ}C$ for 0.5 h, which is nearly equivalent to the HRC of conventional WC-Co hardmetals containing 20 wt% Co.