Improved electrochemical and mechanical performance of WC-Co cemented carbide by replacing a part of Co with Al2O3

Abstract In this study, WC/xCo/6-xAl2O3 (x = 1, 2, 3 and 6 wt%) composites were fabricated through spark plasma sintering. The electrochemical and mechanical properties of the composites were comparatively investigated. Comparison of the hardness values indicated that by decreasing the cobalt content (from 6 to 1 wt%), the hardness of the composite increased. Also, by reducing the amount of Co from 6 wt% to 1 wt%, the corrosion potential of the samples increased while the corrosion current density decreased. FESEM images after corrosion test revealed that WO3 nano-flakes were formed on surface of the composites containing 3 wt % Co and 6 wt% Co.