THE ELECTRO-DISCHARGE COMPACTION OF POWDER TUNGSTEN CARBIDE - COBALT - DIAMOND COMPOSITE MATERIAL

The manufacturing of high strength structure of powder tungsten carbide - cobalt - diamond composite material is investigated and optimal operating parameters are defined. The structure of tungsten carbide - cobalt - diamond composite material reaches top strength at certain magnitudes of applied pressure and high voltage electrical discharge parameters. We studied densification process of powder material during electro-discharge compaction by means of high-velocity filming. Pulse current parameters were measured by Rogovsky coil. The temperature evolution during electro-discharge compaction process was measured by means of thermocouple method. We have installed that the powder densification process has wave nature in electro-discharge compaction. We defined wave front velocity of densification process and pressure amplitude in wave front subject to parameters of electro-discharge compaction.