Recycling Process of WC Fine Powder Contained by Cemented Carbides Parts in JAPAN

Cemented carbides material (WC-Co hard alloy) were recognized very important and expensive tool or die assembly parts because of compose for the main elements of rare metal (W and Co etc). This research was developed to separate and recover of WC fine powder contained by WC-Co materials. Recycling process was a new method named by the Tin impregnation for decobaltification on cemented carbides. This reaction occurred to product a brittle Co-Sn intermetallic compounds, thereafter it carried out by acid cleaning solution and physical milling or powdering. New process was able to recover about 60％ WC fine powder from 1 to 5 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$.