Effect of consolidation mechanism on the properties of nanostructured WC-6, 9, 12 WT%Co hardmetals

The development of nanostructured materials has been exploited in enormous applications nowadays owing to the remarkable properties possessed by these advanced materials. Among these materials are tungsten carbide (WC)-based alloys, which have been widely used in a range of industrial applications including cutting and drilling tools, wear resistant components in wire drawing, and wear resistant surfaces in various equipments and dies. These alloys are processed using a variety of techniques in which powder metallurgy has been widely adopted. The key challenge lies in retaining the nanostructure of WC-based powders after the consolidation stage that is used to obtain dense parts following powder metallurgy processing. In the present study, the densification parameters, microstructural development and mechanical behavior of WC containing 6, 9 and 12wt. %Co powders in the range of nanometer to micron size of WC particles were investigated. Two types of consolidation techniques were considered namely spark plasma sintering (SPS) and microwave sintering (MW) for a comparative analysis as well as to explore the suitable process that will minimize grain growth. The consolidated (sintered) samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and hardness measurement.