Consolidation and mechanical properties of ultra fine WC-5 wt.% carbides hard materials by a rapid sintering method

Using the pulsed current activated sintering method, WC-5 wt.% carbides hard materials were densified using an ultra-fine WC-NbC, TaC, TiC and ZrC powder. The WC-carbides were nearly completely dense with a relative density of up to 99% after the simultaneous application of 60 MPa of pressure and about 10 minutes of electric current without significant change in the grain size. The average grain size of WC that was produced through PCAS was approximately 500 nm. The hardness and fracture toughness of the dense WC-Carbide composites were also investigated.