Effects of fine WC particle size on the microstructure and mechanical properties of WC-8Co cemented carbides with dual-scale and dual-morphology WC grains

Dual-scale and dual-morphology WC grained WC-8Co cemented carbides comprising triangular or hexagonal fine WC grains and plate-like coarse WC grains were synthesized by vacuum sintering using Co, flaky graphite, WC, and coarse W as the starting materials. The effects of fine WC particle sizes on microstructure, relative densities, and mechanical properties of the dual-scale and dual-morphology WC grained cemented carbides were investigated. The results revealed that the growth of plate-like coarse WC grains was further promoted with the decrease in the particle size of the added fine WC; hence, their aspect ratio increased. In addition, added fine WC led to the separation of plate-like coarse WC grains so as to break their oriented arrangement and prevent their face contact; hence, plate-like coarse WC grains were completely covered by the Co binder phase. Moreover, the addition of smaller particle size of fine WC contributed to more uniform Co binder phase. When 0.4-μm WC powders was added, the aspect ratio of plate-like coarse WC grains was greater than that of plate-like WC grained cemented carbides without the addition of fine WC. The dual-scale and dual-morphology WC grained cemented carbides by adding 0.4-μm fine WC exhibited good comprehensive mechanical properties, with a transverse rupture strength of 3645 MPa, a Rockwell hardness of 91.5 HRA, and a fracture toughness of 12.3 MPa∙m^1/2.     

Effects of submicron WC addition on structures,kinetics and mechanical properties of functionally graded cemented carbides with coarse grains

Functionally graded cemented carbides (FGCCs) were prepared by pre-sintering and carburizing of carbon-deficient WC–Co cemented carbides. Submicron WC powder with different contents was added in FGCCs with coarse grains to study the influences of microstructures, kinetics and mechanical properties. The results show that the addition of submicron WC can increase the thickness of the gradient layer, and improve the carburizing rate in FGCCs. The average grain size becomes finer with the content of submicron WC increasing. The FGCCs with the addition of submicron WC has a higher grain growth rate, and the grain growth kinetics is proposed to be diffusion-controlled. Meanwhile, a simplified equation for estimating the final average grain size of FGCCs is provided. The hardness and the transverse rupture strength of FGCCs can be efficiently improved by the addition of submicron WC due to the fine microstructures and thick gradient layer.     

Microstructural formations and phase transformation pathways in hot isostatically pressed tantalum carbides

A series of XTa:(1 − X)C (0.5 < X < 1) compositions have been fabricated by hot isostatic pressing (HIP) of Ta and TaC powder blends. Depending upon the targeted stoichiometry, single- or multiple-phase microstructures formed. The single-phase microstructures of both TaC and Ta₂C had equiaxed grain morphologies. The multiphase microstructures had either equiaxed TaC grains with a crisscross pattern of Ta₄C₃ laths or acicular grain morphologies with rafts of TaC, Ta₄C₃ and Ta₂C laths running parallel to the major axis of the grains. The effect of phase transformations on the microstructure of these specimens is discussed and compared to those microstructures seen in a reaction diffusion couple formed between Ta and TaC powders processed under the same HIP conditions. This couple revealed the depletion of carbon from the TaC phase and its reaction with the tantalum metal to form the various Ta-rich carbide phases. The precipitation sequence was found to be paramount in controlling the grain morphology. A close-packed plane and direction orientation relationship was seen between all the phases. The crisscross pattern of Ta₄C₃ precipitation in TaC was a consequence of TaC’s multiple variant {1 1 1} orientations and had little or no effect on the grain morphology. In contrast, the single variant close-packed plane {0 0 0 1} in Ta₂C resulted in the parallel alignment of the precipitated phases within its grain and an anisotropic growth direction that facilitated the acicular grain morphology.     

MD study of C diffusion in WC/W interfaces observed in cemented carbides

WC/Co tool used in the turning of Ti-alloys are subject to rapid crater wear due to chemical processes at the tool chip interface in the form of dissolution/diffusion. It has been observed that a thin layer of bcc W forms on the outermost WC grains in contact with the Ti workpiece meaning that C has diffused away from the WC. The rates involved in this process are of interest for formulating a theory of how wear progresses during turning of Ti-alloys. In this work we investigate the rates involved in this diffusion process by means of classical MD simulations on 6 different WC/W interfaces, 3 with a basal WC surface and 3 with a prismatic WC surface, as a function of C depletion in the outermost WC layer. The results show that all interfaces are stable and that principally no diffusion events of C occur at temperatures below 1373 K for C depletion levels below 30 at.%. At 50 at.% depletion, C diffusion starts occurring regularly and at 70 at.% depletion and above the majority of the C atoms are diffusing except at the lowest temperatures. Additionally, any difference in diffusion rate observed between the basal and prismatic interfaces in their pristine states have vanished at the point of 50 at.% depletion. This all points to a process which is initially slow for each layer of the WC but which increases in speed substantially as C atoms are removed.     

基于元胞自动机的三维晶粒生长动力学研究

本文基于热力学转换机制和能量跃迁原理,采用Metropolis算法改进的元胞自动机模型,对AZ31镁合金三维晶粒长大过程进行仿真研究,并对其晶粒尺寸与晶粒长大动力学进行统计分析。仿真结果表明:采用改进转变规则后的元胞自动机模型更加接近于实际三维晶粒的正常长大过程。在模拟过程中,系统总自由能降低,不同时刻晶粒尺寸均呈现正态分布。晶粒直径与平均晶粒直径的比值R/Rm≈1.0的晶粒分布最多,满足晶粒演变最小能量准则。分析晶粒长大动力学可知,三维晶粒长大遵循晶粒演变过程中平均晶粒尺寸随时间变化的关系,晶粒长大指数为0.47941,非常接近于理论值0.5。通过实验对AZ31镁合金保温过程中晶粒尺寸变化规律进行研究,进一步验证了本文建立的三维元胞自动机模型的可靠性与准确性。     

Preparation and properties of Ni-coated WC powder and highly impact resistant and corrosion resistant WC-Ni cemented carbides

WC powders were uniformly coated by Ni nanoparticles through a combined chemical co-precipitation and subsequent high temperature hydrogen reduction strategy (abbreviated as CM-WCN), and then were consolidated by vacuum sintering at 1450 °C for 1 h to obtain WC-Ni cemented carbides. The microstructure and properties of the as-consolidated CM-WCN were investigated. The average grain size of WC in the consolidated CM-WCN was calculated to be in the range of 3.0–3.8 μm and only few pores were observed. A relative density of 99.6%, hardness of HRA 86.5 and bending strength of 1860 MPa were obtained for the CM-WCN-10wt.%Ni, and the highest impact toughness of 6.17 J/cm² was obtained for the CM-WCN-12wt.%Ni, surpassing those of the hand mixed WC-Ni (HM-WCN) cemented carbides examined in this study and the other similar materials in the literature. CM-WCN cemented carbides possess excellent mechanical properties, due to their highly uniform structure and low porosity that could be ascribed to the intergranular-dominated fracture mode accompanied by a large number of plastic deformation tears of the bonding phase. In addition, the corrosion resistance of CM-WCN was superior to that of HM-WCN at the Ni content of 6-12 wt.%.     

Preparation of Co powders for cemented carbides in China

Cobalt has been used as a supreme binder in cemented carbides. As the largest production nation of cemented carbides in the world, large amounts of cobalt powders, about 1200 tons in 2005, are consumed in China market. It is known that many factors, both in terms of composition and processing techniques, affect cemented carbides properties that are correlative with the ingredient, particle size, particle shape and microstructure of the cobalt powders. The studies on preparation of Co powders for cemented carbides in China are reviewed in this paper. The fabrication method, particle size and shape of cobalt powders are described and discussed according to the processing techniques. The typically chemical and physical properties of cobalt powders in Chinese production are introduced briefly. In order to further improve the cemented carbides quality, more research works on the microstructure and composition of doped alloying elements cobalt powders should be made in China in future.     

Properties and microstructure of VC/Cr3C2-doped WC/Co cemented carbides

This paper deals with the effects of codoped VC/Cr3C2 and sintering temperature on the magnetic and mechanical properties of ultra-fine grained WC-12%Co alloys. Results show that the synergistic action of doped VC/Cr3C2 in optimal proportion enhances both the hardness and transverse rupture strength (TRS) of the alloys, with more homogeneous microstructure. When the alloy is sintered at 1430℃ and with 0.5% Cr3C2/0.2% VC, the TRS reaches 3786 MPa, the hardness is 91.7 HRA and the grain size srnaller than 0.6 μm. The numerical analyses on grain growth during the sintering process show that both VC precipitating on the WC grain boundary and Cr3C2 dissolving in the Co phase decrease the solid/liquid interfacial energy γ, the process of dissolution and reprecipitation is greatly retarded and the coarsening of WC grains is inhibited.     

Near-nano and coarse-grain WC powders obtained by the self-propagating high-temperature synthesis and cemented carbides on their basis. Part I: Structure,composition and properties of WC powders

Near-nano WC powders with mean grain sizes of about 200 nm were prepared by the SHS method including the reduction of WO₃ by Mg in the presence of carbon and regulating additives. The chemical leaching and refinement of the SHS reaction products allowed one to obtain stoichiometric WC containing only traces of oxygen and magnesium. The thermal reduction of WO₃ and V₂O₅ by magnesium in the presence of carbon resulted in obtaining two carbide phases of WC and complex carbide (W,V)C with the fcc crystal lattice having a grain size of less than 300 nm. It was established that the tungsten oxide reduction by magnesium in the presence of carbon cannot be used to synthesize coarse-grain WC powders. Coarse-grained WC powders were obtained using the W + C mixture heated to high temperatures by a simultaneous exothermic reaction of interaction between magnesium perchlorate Mg(ClO₄) and magnesium. The coarse-grain WC powder synthesized in such a way is nearly stoichiometric and consists of sintered round-shaped agglomerates with the average grain size of up to 16 μm and containing only traces of magnesium and oxygen. The agglomerates comprise WC single-crystals of roughly 1 μm to 8 μm in size.     

硬质合金的超声电火花复合加工速度研究

通过采用电火花加工和超声电火花复合加工的方法加工硬质合金的试验,分析超声电火花复合加工应用的限制因素,研究脉冲宽度、峰值电流等参数对加工速度的影响。结果表明,在一定的条件下超声电火花复合加工比普通电火花加工效率高、表面质量好,可用于硬质合金模具的加工。     

High-temperature plastic flow behaviour in the binder of WC-Co cemented carbides

Co-rich solid solution alloys regarded as the composition of binder phasesat elevated temperatures in WC-Co cemented carbides were fabricated and the high-temperature deformation behaviour of the alloys was investigated. The logarithmic relationship between flow stress and strain rate is expressed by a single straight line with the slope of 0.15 at a constant temperature in all strain rate range examined, unlike in cemented carbides showing the sigmoidal behaviour. The solid solution hardening due to the addition of Cr₃C₂ and VC is negligible in the Co-9WC-lCr₃C₂-0.5VC alloy and the mutual relation in flow stress is different between the cemented carbides and their binder phases in region I. The plastic flow in region I in WC-Co cemented carbides cannot be explained by the flow stress or flow behaviour in the binder phase.     

On the formation and in situ observation of thin surface layers of cobalt on sintered cemented carbides

The formation of a surface layer of cobalt binder during sintering of cemented carbides is widely known and has been thoroughly discussed in literature. The phenomenon occurs upon cooling, however the details of the mechanism are still uncertain. To further investigate the mechanism, different cooling experiments and atmospheres were combined with in situ observations of sample surfaces during cooling, acquiring new data about the timescale and temperature range in which the formation of the layer takes place. Based on these results, the authors propose a new mechanism for the cobalt layer formation.After an initial transport of liquid cobalt towards the surface, caused by the slightly decarburizing conditions during vacuum sintering, the high surface tension of liquid cobalt governs the formation of the layer. If the formation of a cobalt surface layer is provoked, this implies limits for the achievable layer thickness and also confirms known measures to prevent the cobalt layer formation. Fast cooling or cooling under carburizing conditions can prevent the cobalt layer formation.     

超细晶粒硬质合金磨削的材料去除机理研究

在使用金刚石砂轮的平面磨床上进行了超细晶粒WC-Co硬质合金的磨削实验研究,通过扫描电子显微镜观察磨削表面形貌,利用X射线能谱仪进行磨削表面元素微区分析,对不同磨削条件下超细硬质合金的材料去除机理进行了研究。研究结果表明:超细硬质合金磨削过程中,随砂轮粒度的增大或切深的增加,材料去除方式渐由滑擦、耕犁向脆性断裂、材料粉末化转变。磨削表面黏结相分布受材料去除方式的影响,以耕犁方式去除的磨削表面Co相分布不均匀程度最大。     

功能梯度 WC-Co/WC-Fe-Ni双层硬质合金的研究

使用新的制备方法成功制备了功能梯度WC-Co/WC-Fe-Ni双层结构硬质合金。冷压成型所需的压制压力需要保持在15 MPa,在这个压力下WC-Co和WC-Fe-Ni层的烧结收缩率相同,制备的双层合金没有分层和裂纹等不利现象出现。采用X射线衍射（XRD）、光学显微镜（OM）和扫描电子显微镜（SEM）等实验手段研究了双层合金的相组成与微观结构,发现合金中没有η或者石墨相的存在,而且,WC-Co和WC-Fe-Ni层间的界面处结合良好。同时,在WC-Co/WC-Fe-Ni双层结构硬质合金的界面处有明显的连续变化的 Fe, Ni 和 Co 成分梯度,两层间的成分梯度导致界面附近的硬度梯度的形成。制备的功能梯度WC-Co/WC-Fe-Ni双层结构硬质合金同时高的硬度、耐磨性和韧性。     

Comparison between the electrical resistance and the shear strength of brazed cemented carbides

Brazing is a suitable technology to join different materials such as cemented carbides and steel. Even though this technology has been investigated for many years, insufficient joints can occur easily, as the brazing process is very sensitive concerning the handling parameters. Defects such as voids and cracks are hard to detect by commonly used visual inspection methods. Other nondestructive methods such as radiography or ultrasonic testing are usually not economical for the examination of these joints. Studies proved that the electrical resistance has the potential to serve as an effective alternative for the evaluation of brazed joints. In this study, the authors have compared the electrical resistance and the shear strength. For this, cemented carbides were brazed to steel by means of induction heating at an ambient atmosphere. A silver-based filler metal ( BrazeTec 4900 / Ag 449) and a flux (BrazeTec spezial h / FH12) were selected to enable the brazing process. The brazing time and the temperature were varied in order to produce different joint qualities. After brazing, the resistance was measured on each joint with the 4-point probe method to facilitate a high accuracy. The results underline the possibility to use electrical resistance measurements as an effective tool for a quality control of brazed joints.     

梯度硬质合金梯度层形成的计算机模拟及验证

结合相图热力学计算,使用DICTRA软件计算模拟Co-W-Ti-C-N、Co-W-Ti-Nb-C-N和Co-W-Ti-Ta-C-N体系梯度硬质合金梯度层形成过程,对比计算模拟和实测的梯度硬质合金中Co含量的距离变化曲线。通过分析各相体积分数及组元成分随距离的分布研究烧结时间、烧结温度、Co含量和Ti含量对梯度层厚度的影响。结果表明:计算模拟与实验数据吻合较好。延长烧结时间、升高烧结温度和增加Co含量均会促进梯度层厚度的增加,而增加Ti含量则会抑制梯度层厚度的增加。     

球形钴粉的制备及其在超细晶粒硬质合金中的应用

以碳酸钻为原料,采用氢气还原法在带式无舟皿连续还原炉中制备超细球形钻粉。考察还原温度和还原时间对钻粉粒度的影响。结果表明,在420～460℃还原180min左右,可以制备费氏粒度为0．9μm左右的超细球形钻粉。采用二氧化碳气体钝化处理技术降低了钻粉的氧含量。采用制备的钻粉为超细晶粒硬质合金的粘结剂,用低压烧结工艺制备出钻相高度分散、晶粒均匀的超细晶粒YG10硬质合金。其晶粒度为0．4μm,矫顽磁力达38．0kA／m,硬度大于93．0HRA,抗弯强度高于3700MPa。