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Structure and Properties of Coarse-Grained WC–Co Alloys with an Especially Homogeneous Microstructure

  • PHYSICAL METALLURGY AND HEAT TREATMENT
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Russian Journal of Non-Ferrous Metals Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The structure and properties of coarse-grained WC–6% Co carbides with carbon deficiency from 0.11 to 1.31% relative to the stoichiometric ration prepared from narrow-fraction tungsten carbide powder with a grain size of 5–15 μm are studied. It is established by the results of metallographic analysis that sintering temperatures in a range of 1390–1420°C provide the pore-free state of the alloy with the normal carbon content, but the samples have considerable porosity at its lowered concentrations. It is revealed that sintering temperatures of 1450–1475°C, irrespective of the carbon content, make it possible to prepare carbides with residual porosity lower than 0.02%. It is shown that alloys with a carbon deficit of 0.11–0.91% had a two-phase structure, while the alloy with a carbon deficit of 1.31% contained inclusions of the η phase in addition to WC and γ phase. It is established that the retardation of the growth of tungsten carbide grains is observed with a decrease in the carbon content during liquid-phase sintering. The concentration of dissolved tungsten is established by electron probe microanalysis. It was 10, 12, 15, and 19 wt % for carbides with a normal, low, mid, and high carbon deficit, respectively. The use of narrow-fraction tungsten carbide powders makes it possible to fabricate carbides with rounded grains having a shape factor of about 0.77. The alloy with a carbon deficit of 0.91% relative to the stoichiometric ratio had the best combination of hardness and crack resistance:11.1 GPa and 16.0 mPa m1/2.

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Funding

This study was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, agreement no. 14.575.21.0156, project no. RFMEFI5717X0156, Federal Target Program “Researches and Developments on Priority Directions of the Scientific-and-Technology Complex of Russia for 2014–2020.”

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National University of Science and Technology “MISiS”, 119049, Moscow, Russia

    E. N. Avdeenko, E. I. Zamulaeva, A. A. Zaitsev, I. Yu. Konyashin & E. A. Levashov

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  1. E. N. Avdeenko
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  2. E. I. Zamulaeva
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  3. A. A. Zaitsev
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  4. I. Yu. Konyashin
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  5. E. A. Levashov
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Correspondence to E. N. Avdeenko, E. I. Zamulaeva, A. A. Zaitsev, I. Yu. Konyashin or E. A. Levashov.

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Translated by N. Korovin

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Avdeenko, E.N., Zamulaeva, E.I., Zaitsev, A.A. et al. Structure and Properties of Coarse-Grained WC–Co Alloys with an Especially Homogeneous Microstructure. Russ. J. Non-ferrous Metals 60, 542–548 (2019). https://doi.org/10.3103/S1067821219050055

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.3103/S1067821219050055

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