• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.588-595
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• 2009

The knowledge of grain growth of carbide particles is very important for manufacturing micrograined cemented carbides. In the present study, continuous and discontinuous grain growth in WC-Co and WC-VC-Co cemented carbides is investigated using the Monte Carlo computer simulation technique. The Ostwald ripening process (solution/re-precipitation) and the grain boundary migration process are assumed in the simulation as the grain growth mechanism. The effects of liquid phase fraction, grain boundary energy and implanted coarse grain are examined. At higher liquid phase content, mass transfer via solid/liquid interfaces plays a major role in grain growth. Growth rate of the implanted grain was higher than that of the matrix grains through solution/re-precipitation and coalescence with neighboring grains. The results of these simulations qualitatively agree with experimental ones and suggest that distribution of liquid phase and carbide particle/carbide grain boundary energy as well as contamination by coarse grain are important factors controlling discontinuous grain growth in WC-Co and WC-VC-Co cemented carbides. The contamination by coarse grains must by avoided in the manufacturing process of fine grain cemented carbides, especially with low Co.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.86-90
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• 1996

The effects of added VC, Cr$_3$C$_2$ and TaC on the microstructures and properties of submicron WC-10%Co cemented carbides. The relative sintered density of compact was increased by addition of Cr$_3$C$_2$ but decreased oppositely by addition of VC or TaC. The growth of WC grains was significantly suppressed by addition of these carbides. The hardness of these alloys was increased by addition of other carbides and showed a maximum value by simultaneously added VC and Cr$_3$C$_2$. The transverse rupture strength(T.R.S.) was in- creased by addition of Cr$_3$C$_2$, while it was decreased by addition of VC or TaC. The relative sintered density and T.R.S. of these alloys were improved by HIP-treatment. The maximum T.R.S. was 328kg/mm$^2$ in the Wc-10%Co cemented carbide with addition of 0.5%VC.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
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• 2006.09b
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• pp.889-890
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• 2006

In recent years, PCB drills with smaller diameters less than 0.1 mm are used and thus there are growing needs for ultra-fine grained cemented carbides. However, ultra-fine WC powder usually causes extraordinary grain growth during sintering which weakens mechanical strength of ultra-fine grained cemented carbides. So we examined several kinds of WC powders to make new ultra-fine grained cemented carbides having superior performance. We found that direct carburized WC powder is very good as a WC raw material. The PCB drills made of the developed ultra-fine grained cemented carbides have higher hardness, toughness and stiffness than conventional ones.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
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• 2006.09a
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• pp.338-339
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• 2006

The solubility of Cr in cubic carbides in the systems WC-Co-TaC and WC-Co-ZrC has been determined using equilibrium samples. Thermodynamic calculations were used to design the alloys through extrapolations of Gibbs energy expressions. The alloys were designed to have a microstructure containing the following phases: WC, liquid, $M_7C_3$, graphite and cubic carbide. The alloys were investigated using scanning electron microscopy and analyzed using energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry. The present work shows how the Cr solubility depends on which cubic carbide former that is present. The WC-Co-Cr-Zr alloy has no detectable amount of Cr whereas the WC-Co-Cr-Ta alloy has 12% Cr in the cubic carbide.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
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• 1994.10b
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• pp.7-7
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• 1994

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 1999.10a
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• pp.297-298
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• 1999

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 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.178-183
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• 1998

Ultrafine WC-10wt.%Co cemented carbides powders were synthesized by direct carburization. W-Co composite powders and carbon black powders were mixed by wet ball milling and dried. The mixed powders were heated to 800 $^{\circ}C$ with heating rate of 8.2$^{\circ}C$/min and held for various times in flowing $H_2$. For carbon addition of 140%, the carburization was completed by heating at 80$0^{\circ}C$ for 4 hours. The carburization time decreased with increasing amount of carbon and carburization was completed by heating at 800 $^{\circ}C$ for 2 hours with carbon addition of 150%. WC-10 wt%Co cemented carbides powders fabricated by direct carburization have nanoscale WC($\/leqq$100 nm) size.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
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• 2006.09a
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• pp.348-349
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• 2006

The plastic deformation behavior of cemented carbides is related to the WC grain boundary strength. Ab initio calculations predict that Co and Mn segregate to WC/WC grain boundaries. To experimentally study the effect of Mn, a WC-Co-Mn material was manufactured and compared to a WC-Co material. The microstructure was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), including electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Special attention was paid to the WC grain size and the frequency of special low-energy grain boundaries. Mn was found to have negligible effect on both the WC grain growth and the fraction of $\sum2$ WC/WC boundaries in the as-sintered material.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.10 no.9
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• pp.612-618
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• 2000

The WC/WC grain boundary structure and intergranular segregation in WC-Co and WC-VC-Co cemented carbides were investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in order to elucidate whether contiguous boundaries were present or not at the atomic level. Some grain boundaries were separated by liquid phase, while others were contiguous at the atomic level. Cobalt was found to be segregated to WC/WC grain boundaries in WC-Co. Cobalt and vanadium were co-segregated to grain boundaries in WC-VC-Co. The segregation width in both materials was about 6 nm. These results suggest that the vanadium present in contiguous boundaries acts as an effective barrier to the migration of boundaries during sintering and annealing. This could explain the grain growth inhibiting mechanism of VC added to WC-Co.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.291-296
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• 2022

The green body of WC-Co cemented carbides containing polymeric binders such as paraffin, polyethylene glycol (PEG), and polyvinyl acetate (PVA) are prepared. The green density of the WC-Co cemented carbides increases with the addition of binders, with the exception of PVA, which is known to be a polar polymeric substance. The green strength of the WC-Co cemented carbides improves with the addition of paraffin and a mixture of PEG400 and PEG4000. In contrast, the green strength of the WC-Co does not increase when PEG400 and PEG4000 is added individually. The compressive strength of the green body increases to 14 MPa, and the machinability of the green body improves when more than 4-6 wt% paraffin and a mixture of PEG400 and PEG4000 is used. Simultaneously, the sintered density of WC-Co is as high as 99% relative density, similar to a low binder addition of 1-2 wt%.