Study on the properties of WC-10Co alloys adding Cr3C2 powder via various vacuum sintering temperatures

Abstract The aim of the present research is to determine the optimal process of WC-10Co and WC(90 wt%)-Co(10-X wt%)-Cr 3 C 2 (X wt%)-cemented alloys, especially as related to their microstructural, magnetic and mechanical properties. In this work, different temperatures (1280 °C, 1320 °C, 1360 °C and 1400 °C) are explored in order to investigate the optimal parameters of the WC-10Co alloys. The influence on the WC-Co-cemented alloys of adding Cr 3 C 2 powder is also evaluated. The experimental results show the optimal sintering temperature of the WC-10Co-cemented alloys as 1360 °C, with the WC-9.25Co-0.75Cr 3 C 2 -cemented alloys possessing the smallest grain size (480 nm) and a relatively higher hardness (93.23 HRA) after 1360 °C sintering for 1 h. It is also shown that the increase in the Cr 3 C 2 content into the cemented alloys is effective in refining the WC grains and obtaining higher coercive force values.