Plasma sprayed graphene/carbon nanotube reinforced lanthanum-cerate hybrid composite coating

Lanthanum cerate (LC: La₂Ce₂O₇) is a potential material for thermal barrier coating, whose improved toughness is a crucial necessity for the pathway of its industrialization. Herein, we demonstrated a promising approach to develop graphene/carbon nanotube hybrid composite coating using a large throughput and atmospheric plasma spraying method. Graphene nanoplatelets (GNP: 1 wt %) and carbon nanotube (CNT: 0.5 wt %) reinforced lanthanum cerate (LCGC) hybrid composite coatings were deposited on the Inconel substrate. Addition of 1 wt % GNP and 0.5 wt % CNT in LC matrix has significantly increased its relative density, hardness, and elastic modulus up to 97.2%, 2–3 folds, 3–4 folds, respectively. An impressive improvement of indentation toughness (8.04 ± 0.2 MPa m^0.5) was observed on LCGC coating, which is ～8 times higher comparing the LC coating. The toughening was attributed to the factors: such as the distribution of GNPs and CNTs in the LC matrix, synergistic toughening offered by the GNPs and CNTs; (i) GNP/CNT pull-out, (ii) crack bridging and arresting, (iii) splat sandwiching, mechanical interlocking, etc. Finally, this improved toughness offered an exceptional thermal shock performance up to 1721 cycles at 1800 °C, without any major failure on the coating. Therefore, the GNP and CNT-reinforced LC hybrid composite coating can be recommended to open a path for turbine industries.     

Mechanical property and adhesion strength of carbon nanofillers reinforced alumina single splats using in-situ picoindentation and nanoscratch test

Current study deals with the effect of carbon nanotube (CNTs) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) reinforcement on the mechanical properties and the adhesion strength of plasma sprayed alumina (Al₂O₃) single splats, using in-situ picoindentation and nanoscratch test, respectively. The hardness of the Al₂O₃ splat was measured as 18 ± 5.3 GPa which increased to 34.22 ± 8.44 GPa on 1 wt% CNTs addition and to 42.5 ± 9.06 GPa on 0.5 wt% GNPs addition. Hybrid addition of CNTs and GNPs provided the maximum hardness value of 51.25 ± 8.76 GPa to the Al₂O₃ splat. Similar trend in the elastic modulus has been reported with a minimum value for Al₂O₃ splat, i.e. 159 ± 35.40 GPa, and maximum for the Al₂O₃ splat mixed synergistically with CNTs and GNPs (269 ± 43.12 GPa). Adhesion strength of the Al₂O₃ splat (0.21 ± 0.11 MPa) also showed a nearly 5-fold increase on hybrid addition of CNTs and GNPs with a maximum value of 1.08 ± 0.38 MPa. This improvement in the properties were due to the extremely high mechanical properties of CNTs and GNPs and better melting of the splats, which not only improved the densification but also provided a better interlocking between the splat and the substrate.     

Synthesis of aluminum oxide coating with carbon nanotube reinforcement produced by chemical vapor deposition for improved fracture and wear resistance

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was used to achieve a homogeneous dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) powder. This powder was plasma sprayed onto a steel substrate to produce a 96% dense Al₂O₃ coating with CNT reinforcement. Addition of 1.5 wt.% CNTs showed a 24% increase in the relative fracture toughness of the composite coating. The improvement in the fracture toughness is attributed to uniform dispersion of CNTs and toughening mechanism such as CNT bridging, crack deflection and strong interaction between CNT/Al₂O₃ interfaces. Wear and friction behavior of the CNT reinforced Al₂O₃ coating under dry sliding condition was investigated by ball-on-disk tribometer. With the increasing normal loads from 10 to 50 N, the wear volume loss and coefficient of friction of the coating increased, owing to transition from the mild to severe wear. Wear resistance of the Al₂O₃-CNT composite coating improved by ∼27% at 50 N. Coefficient of friction at 50 N was dependent on the competing phenomena of wear debris generation and graphitization due to pressure.     

Tribological behavior of GNPs doped Al2O3 coating fabricated by SHVOF thermal spraying on cemented carbide

This paper aims to experimentally investigate the effect of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) doped Al₂O₃ coating deposited on the surface of cemented carbide substrate using suspension high velocity oxy fuel (SHVOF) thermal spraying technique. Scanning electron microscopy was applied to characterize GNPs doped Al₂O₃ feedstock, the surface morphologies of cemented carbide before and after spraying, and the wear track morphology of cemented carbide after wear tests. The phases of GNPs doped Al₂O₃ feedstock, uncoated and coated cemented carbide were analyzed by X-ray diffraction. The existence of GNPs was analyzed by Raman spectroscopy. A mixture of un-molten and molten splats formed on the surface of cemented carbide substrate after SHVOF thermal spray. The average coefficient of friction (CoF) of coated samples was slightly lower than that of uncoated samples, which might be due to the friction-reduction effect of GNPs. The wear rate of the samples was one order of magnitude higher than that of the alumina ball, showing that the wear of samples was the main wear between the friction couples. The wear mechanism of uncoated sample was mainly fatigue spalling, and that of cemented carbide substrate coated with GNPs doped Al₂O₃ coating was mainly plowing and abrasive wear.     

Synergistic thermal conductivity enhancement of PC/ABS composites containing alumina/magnesia/graphene nanoplatelets

Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) have attracted considerable attention in the field of thermal management materials due to their unique structure and exceptional thermal conductive properties. In this work, we demonstrate a significant synergistic effect of GNPs, alumina (Al₂O₃), and magnesia (MgO) in improving the thermal conductivity of polycarbonate/acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene polymer alloy (PC/ABS) composites. The thermal conductivity of the composites prepared through partial replacement of Al₂O₃ and MgO with GNPs could increase dramatically compared with that without GNPs. The maximum thermal conductivity of the composite is 3.11 W mK⁻¹ at total mass fraction of 70% with 0.5 wt% GNPs loading. It increases 60% compared with that without GNPs (1.95 W mK⁻¹). The synergistic effect results from the compact packing structure formed by Al₂O₃/MgO and the bridging of GNPs with Al₂O₃/MgO, thus promoting the formation of effective thermal conduction pathways within PC/ABS matrix. More importantly, together with the intrinsically high thermal conductivity of GNPs, boosted and effective pathways for phonon transport can be created, thus decrease the thermal resistance at the interface between fillers and PC/ABS matrix and increase the thermal conductivity of composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:2221–2227, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Fabrication and mechanical properties of Al2O3–TiC ceramic composites synergistically reinforced with multi-walled carbon nanotubes and graphene nanoplates

In this study, Al₂O₃–TiC composites synergistically reinforced with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and graphene nanoplates (GNPs) were prepared via spark plasma sintering (SPS). The effects of the MWCNT and GNP contents on the phase composition, mechanical properties, fracture mode, and toughening mechanism of the composites were systematically investigated. The experimental results indicated that the composite grains became more refined with the addition of MWCNTs and GNPs. The nanocomposites presented high compactness and excellent mechanical properties. The composite with 0.8 wt% MWCNTs and 0.2 wt% GNPs presented the best properties of all analysed specimens, and its relative density, hardness, and fracture toughness were 97.3%, 18.38 ± 0.6 GPa, and 9.40 ± 1.6 MPa m^1/2, respectively. The crack deflection, bridging, branching, and drawing effects of MWCNTs and GNPs were the main toughening mechanisms of Al₂O₃–TiC composites synergistically reinforced with MWCNTs and GNPs.     

Microstructure,mechanical and high temperature tribological behaviour of graphene nanoplatelets reinforced plasma sprayed titanium nitride coating

In the present study, graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs: 1–2 wt. %) reinforced TiN coating were successfully fabricated over titanium alloy using a reactive shroud plasma spraying technique. All coatings were completely oxide free, while the addition of GNPs suppressed the non-stoichiometric TiN_0.3 phase. Improvement of 19%, 18% and 300% in hardness, elastic modulus and fracture toughness was achieved by mere addition of 2 wt. % GNP. The addition of GNP in TiN also reduced the wear volume loss and the wear rate of the coatings for the entire range of temperature (293–873 K). Moreover, GNPs also manifested the coefficient of friction (COF) of the coating. Post wear characterization revealed that the presence of GNP throughout the wear track even at 873 K. The multi-layer structure of GNPs assisted in long term lubricity to the surface and increased the wear resistance of the coating.     

Effect of Y2O3 addition on tribological properties of plasma sprayed Al2O3-13% TiO2 coating

The effect of Y₂O₃ addition on structure, mechanical properties and tribological properties of Al₂O₃-13 wt% TiO₂ coating was investigated. The addition of 20 wt% Y₂O₃ resulted in better densification, stabilization of alpha (α) alumina phase and improvement in fracture toughness of Al₂O₃-13 wt% TiO₂ coating. Abrasive wear tests were performed over a range of loads and sliding speeds. The stabilization of α alumina phase further increased with an increase in severity of wear test conditions, as noted from X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analysis of worn coatings. Al₂O₃-13 wt% TiO₂-20 wt% Y₂O₃ coating displayed lower friction coefficient and lower abrasive wear rate than Al₂O₃-13 wt% TiO₂ coating, which was due to synergistic effect of α alumina phase and formation of magneli phase oxide of titanium; Ti₂O₃. Friction energy map was used to rationalize observed wear rates, to identify different regimes of wear and degradation modes of coatings.     

Fabrication of corrosion-resistant Al2O3–CeO2 composite coating on AA7075 via plasma electrolytic oxidation coupled with electrophoretic deposition

Al₂O₃–CeO₂ composite coating was fabricated on AA7075 by combining plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) with electrophoretic deposition (EPD). CeO₂ nanoparticles are electrophoretically incorporated into the plasma electrolytic oxidized Al₂O₃ coatings by the synergetic effect of PEO and EPD processes. The passivation behavior of Al₂O₃ and inhibiting nature of CeO₂ have been studied by the electrochemical corrosion analysis in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution and salt spray corrosion test (SSCT) in 5 wt% NaCl as per ASTM standards. The results showed that the Al₂O₃–CeO₂ composite coating via PEO coupled EPD significantly improved the corrosion resistance (~10³ times higher R_p) compared to the plasma electrolytic oxidized Al₂O₃ coating.     

Microstructural,mechanical and marine water tribological properties of plasma-sprayed graphene nanoplatelets reinforced Al2O3- 40 wt% TiO2 coating

Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) as reinforcement in the ceramic matrix is rising continuously due to their outstanding mechanical and lubricative properties. Herein, different compositions of GNPs (0.5–2 wt%) reinforced alumina-titania coatings were prepared using atmospheric plasma spraying. The relative density of AT coating increased from 83% to 94% with just (1.5 wt%) addition of GNP. Consequently, mechanical properties i.e. hardness and elastic modulus were improved by ~77% and ~69% respectively. Fracture toughness also increased from 2.65 ± 0.95 MPa.m^1/2 to 5.85 ± 1.07 MPa.m^1/2. Furthermore, the seawater wear test, using a ball-on-disc tribometer revealed that the wear rate of AT coating decreased from ~11 × 10^?14 m³/Nm to ~4 × 10^?14 m³/Nm, whereas the coefficient of friction reduced from 0.33 ± 0.05–0.16 ± 0.03. The mechanisms involved to improve these properties, viz. GNP sandwiching, crack bridging, crack arrest, etc. GNP’s multi-layers facilitated long-term lubricity and enhanced the wear resistance properties of the coatings.     

Microstructure and toughening mechanisms of Al2O3/(W,Ti)C/graphene composite ceramic tool material

To toughen the Al₂O₃ matrix ceramic materials, Al₂O₃/(W, Ti)C/graphene multi-phase composite ceramic materials were fabricated via hot pressing. The effects of the graphene nanoplates (GNPs) content on microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated. Results showed that the fracture toughness and flexural strength of the composite added with just 0.2?wt% GNPs were markedly improved by about 35.3% (~ 7.78?MPa?m^1/2) and 49% (~ 608.54?MPa) respectively compared with the specimens without GNPs while the hardness was kept about 24.22?GPa. However, the mechanical properties degrade with the further increase of GNPs’ content owing to the increased defects caused by agglomeration of GNPs. Synergistic toughening effects of (W, Ti)C and GNPs played an essential role in improving the fracture toughness of composites. By analyzing the microstructures of fractured surface and indentation cracks, besides GNPs pull-out, crack deflection, crack bridging, crack branching and crack arrest, new toughening mechanisms such as break of GNPs and crack guiding were also identified. Furthermore, interface stress can be controlled by means of stagger distributed strong and weak bonding interfaces correlated with the distribution of GNPs.     

The effect of graphene nanoplatelet thickness on the fracture toughness of Si3N4 composites

Si₃N₄ composites with 3 and 5?wt% of graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) additions were prepared by spark plasma sintering. We used both commercially available GNPs and thinner few-layer graphene nanoplatelets (FL-GNPs) prepared by further exfoliation through ball milling with melamine addition. We found that by employing thinner FL-GNPs as filler material a 100% increase in the fracture toughness of Si₃N₄/3?wt% FL-GNP composites (10.5?±?0.2?MPa?m^1/2) can be achieved as compared to the monolithic Si₃N₄ samples (5.1?±?0.3?MPa?m^1/2), and 60% increase compared to conventional Si₃N₄/3?wt% GNP composites (6.6?±?0.4?MPa?m^1/2). For 5?wt% filler content the increase of the fracture toughness was near 50% for both GNP and FL-GNP fillers. The hardness of the composites decreased with increasing GNP content. However, composites reinforced with 5?wt% of FL-GNPs displayed 30% higher Vickers hardness (12.8?±?0.2?GPa) than their counterparts comprising conventional GNP fillers (9.8?±?0.2?GPa). We attribute the enhanced mechanical properties obtained with thinner FL-GNPs to their higher aspect ratio leading to a more homogeneous dispersion, higher interface area, as well as smaller pores in the ceramic matrix.     

Catalytic combustion synthesis of CNTs/MgO composite powders and the influences on the thermal shock resistance of low-carbon Al2O3–C refractories

Using MgC₂O₄, Mg powders as raw materials and Ni(NO₃)₂?6H₂O as a catalyst, CNTs/MgO composite powders were prepared by a catalytic combustion synthesis method. The CNTs/MgO composite powders were characterized by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, FESEM/EDS and HRTEM. The effects of catalyst content on the degree of graphitization and aspect ratio of the CNTs in composite powders were investigated. Moreover, the thermal shock resistance of low-carbon Al₂O₃–C refractories after adding the composite powder was investigated. The results indicated that the CNTs prepared with 1 wt% Ni(NO₃)₂?6H₂O addition had a higher degree of graphitization and aspect ratio. In particular, the aspect ratio could reach approximately 200. The growth mechanism of hollow bamboo-like CNTs in the composite powders was proven to be a V-L-S mechanism. The thermal shock resistance of Al₂O₃–C samples could be improved significantly after adding CNTs/MgO composite powders. In particular, compared with CM0, the residual strength ratio of Al₂O₃–C samples with added 2.5 wt% composite powders could be increased 63.9%.     

Bimodal microstructure toughens plasma sprayed Al2O3-8YSZ-CNT coatings

Current work pursues generating controlled bimodal microstructure by plasma spraying of micrometer-sized Al₂O₃ and nanostructured spray-dried agglomerate with reinforcement of 20 wt% of 8 mol % yttria stabilized zirconia (8YSZ) and 4 wt% carbon nanotube (CNT) as potential thermal barrier coating (TBC) on the Inconel 718 substrate. Composite coatings exhibit bimodal microstructure of: (i) fully melted and resolidified microstructured region (MR), and (ii) partially melted and solid state sintered nanostructured regions (NR). Reinforcement with 8YSZ has led to an increase in hardness from ∼12.8 GPa (for μ-Al₂O₃) to ∼13.9 GPa in MR of reinforced Al₂O₃-YSZ composite. Further, with the addition of CNT in Al₂O₃-8YSZ reinforced composite, hardness of MR has remained similar ∼13.9 GPa (8YSZ reinforced) and ∼13.5 GPa (8YSZ-CNT reinforced), which is attributed to acquiescent nature and non-metallurgical bonding of CNT with MR. Indentation fracture toughness increased from 3.4 MPam^0.5 (for μ-Al₂O₃) to a maximum of 5.4 MPam^0.5 (8YSZ- CNT reinforced) showing ∼57.7% improvement, which is due to crack termination at NR, retention of t-ZrO₂ (∼3.3 vol%) crack bridging, and CNT pull-out toughening mechanisms. Modified fractal models affirmed that the introduction of bimodal microstructure (NR) i.e., nanometer-sized- Al₂O₃, nanostructured 8YSZ and CNTs in the μ-Al₂O₃ (MR) contributes ∼44.6% and ∼72% towards fracture toughness enhancement for A8Y and A8YC coatings. An enhanced contribution of nanostructured phases in toughening microstructured Al₂O₃ matrix (in plasma sprayed A8YC coating) is established via modified fractal model affirming crack deflection and termination for potential TBC applications.     

Synthesis of narrow-diameter carbon nanotubes from acetylene decomposition over an iron-nickel catalyst supported on alumina

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were synthesized by the catalytic decomposition of acetylene over 40Fe:60Al₂O₃, 40Ni:60Al₂O₃ and 20Fe:20Ni:60Al₂O₃ catalysts. High density CNTs of 20 nm diameter were grown over the 20Fe:20Ni:60Al₂O₃ catalyst, whereas low growth density CNTs of 40 and 50 nm diameter were found over 40Fe:60Al₂O₃ and 40Ni:60Al₂O₃ catalysts. Smaller catalyst particles enabled the synthesis of highly dense, long and narrow-diameter CNTs. It was found that a homogeneous dispersion of the catalyst was an essential factor in achieving high growth density. The carbon yield and the quality of CNTs increased with increasing temperature. For the 20Fe:20Ni:60Al₂O₃ catalyst, the carbon yield reached 121% after 90 min at 700 °C. The CNTs were grown according to the tip growth mode. Based on reports regarding hydrocarbon adsorption and decomposition over different faces of Ni and Fe, the growth mechanism of CNTs over the 20Fe:20Ni:60Al₂O₃ catalyst are discussed.     

Improved mechanical and wear properties of hybrid Al-Al2O3/GNPs electro-less coated Ni nanocomposite

Al was successfully reinforced with two ceramics Al₂O₃ coated Ni and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) coated Ni by electro-less deposition technique to form Al-Al₂O₃/$\mathit{x}$ GNPs hybrid nanocomposite ($\mathit{x}=0,0.2,0.6,1$and $1.4\%$) with improved mechanical and wear properties. Compressive strength, hardness, wear properties and coefficient of friction were investigated. The results indicated that increasing GNPs volume fraction improves compressive strength, hardness and antifriction properties of composites significantly. In comparison with pure aluminum, 1.52- fold increases in the strength, 2.45-fold increase in the hardness and 19.2-fold decreases in the wear rate of Al-10%Al₂O₃/1.4%GNPs nanocomposite are achieved. This improvement is attributed to the remarkable mechanical strength and excellent self-lubrication of grapheme, the reduction of grain size during electro-less deposition process and the increased efficient stress transfer due to the curled structure of GNPs. Additionally, coating GNPs with Ni particles prevent the formation of Al₃C₄ intermetallic phase which lead to this large improvement in the wear rate. In comparison with the available results in the literature, electro-less coating of GNPs with Ni provides 2.1 times larger hardness than composite with uncoated GNPs.     

Effect of lattice structure evolution on the thermal and mechanical properties of Cu–Al2O3/GNPs nanocomposites

In this study, high-energy ball milling accompanied by compaction and sintering were employed for manufacturing Cu-based hybrid nanocomposite reinforced by Al₂O₃ and GNPs. This hybrid nanocomposite is proposed to meet the specification of heat sink applications, where excellent mechanical and thermal performance is demanding. Different processing parameters were experimentally considered such as sintering temperature and weight percentage of GNPs, 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1 wt %. The weight percentage of Al₂O₃ was fixed at 10%. The results demonstrated that the mechanical and thermal performance of the fabricated nanocomposites were superior for nanocomposite containing 0.5% GNPs and sintered at 1000 °C. The hardness, the thermal conductivity and the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) were improved by 21%, 16.7%, and 55.2%, respectively, compared to composite without GNPs addition. The improved mechanical and thermal properties were attributed to the low stacking fault energy, small crystallite size, high dislocation density, and low lattice strain of the composite prepared at this composition. Moreover, the better dispersion of the nano-particles of GNPs and Al₂O₃ inside the matrix helped for the strength and thermal conductivity improvement while maintaining low CTE.     

Effects of nano-ZrO2 content on microstructure and mechanical properties of GNPs/nano-ZrO2 reinforced Al2O3/Ti(C,N) composite ceramics

Dense Al₂O₃/Ti(C,N) composite ceramics reinforced with GNPs/nano-ZrO₂ were fabricated by hot-press sintering. The effects of nano-ZrO₂ content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the prepared Al₂O₃/Ti(C,N)/GNPs/ZrO₂ composites were investigated. Results showed that nano-ZrO₂ inclusions refined the matrix grains significantly and resulted in the formation of intra-granular structure. Excellent comprehensive mechanical properties were achieved via addition of combined GNPs and nano-ZrO₂. In particular, the fracture toughness of composites incorporating GNPs (0.4 wt%)/ZrO₂ (1 wt%) exceeded 11 MPa m^1/2, which was increased by more than 86 % compared with that of Al₂O₃/Ti(C,N) ceramic composites without GNPs/ZrO₂. The main toughening mechanisms have been identified as stress-induced phase transformation, crack bridging, deflection and pull-out of GNPs. The toughening effects originated from GNPs were enhanced with the introduction of nano-ZrO₂ because of not only the residual stress resulted from phase transformation but also the formation of intra-granular structure with uneven surface around GNPs.     

Low-temperature pressureless sintering of Al2O3-SiC-Ni nanocermets in air environment

This paper introduces a simplified method for low-temperature pressureless sintering of Al₂O₃-Ni-SiC nanocermets in air environment. In this method, a thin and continuous Ni shell was coated on the surface of Al₂O₃ particles using electroless deposition method. The composite powders were subsequently compressed to prepare bulk specimens. By preventing the ceramic particles from direct contact during the densification of green specimens, sintering temperature of cermet materials was reduced from that of Al₂O₃ (>?1400?°C) to the range of Ni solid-phase sintering temperature. Furthermore, dissolution of a low amount of phosphorus in the composition of Ni coatings caused the further decrease of the sintering temperature to 800?°C. At such low temperatures, pressureless sintering of the cermets in the air environment was successfully performed instead of the common hot pressing process in a reducing atmosphere. Optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) characterizations indicated that the microstructure of such sintered samples consists of a continuous Ni network surrounding Al₂O₃ grains, without any structural defects or Ni oxidation. Furthermore, mechanical properties of the cermet materials were improved through reinforcement of the continuous Ni network by different amounts of SiC nanoparticles. The results showed that Al₂O₃-Ni-5?wt% SiC nanocermets sintered at 800?°C obtain the highest compressive strength of 242.5?MPa, hardness of 56.8 RA, and the lowest wear weight loss of 0.04?mg/m.     

Drilling performances and wear characteristics of coated drill bits during drilling reinforced concrete

This paper deals with the investigation on the microstructure and wear behavior of uncoated, Al₂O₃-13 wt% TiO₂, and WC-12 wt% Co-coated drill bits intended for drilling reinforced concrete. Atmospheric plasma spraying technique was employed to fabricate the above coatings on high speed steel drill bits. The circularity measurements of the drilled holes were carried out using MATLAB. The holes drilled using WC-12 wt% Co-coated drill bit showed a better circularity depicting enhanced wear resistance as compared to that of the uncoated and Al₂O₃-13 wt% TiO₂ drill bits. The improvement in the wear resistance of WC-12 wt% Co-coated drill bit is attributed to its higher hardness and lower porosity. Thrust force was observed to be lower for WC-12 wt% Co-coated drill bit depicting less amount of wear. This study suggests that WC-12 wt% Co-coated drill bits can be a potential candidate for drilling reinforced concrete.