Microstructure and mechanical properties of TiC–WC–(Ti,W)C–Ni cermets

(Ti_0.93W_0.07)C solid-solution powder is synthesized via high-energy milling and carbothermal reduction. When the solid-solution carbide is sintered after blending with Ni and commercial single-phase carbides such as TiC and WC, a complex microstructure is developed, typically featuring a core–rim structure along with the initial solid-solution phase. Furthermore, an increase in total volume of the solid-solution phase with (Ti_0.93W_0.07)C in the cermets results in significantly enhanced mechanical properties: fracture toughness (K_1C) is 7.5–12.7 MPa m^1/2 and hardness (H_v) is 11.9–14.1 GPa. These properties are in contrast with those of conventional cermets, which yield K_1C = 6 MPa m^1/2 and H_v = 12.6 GPa.